Asymmetric bilateral hip dislocation after motor vehicle accident - a case study and review of the literature.

Bilateral asymmetric dislocations of the hip are rare compared to unilateral dislocations. This case study describes a female restrained passenger involved in a motor vehicle accident who sustained asymmetric bilateral hip dislocations. The patient underwent successful closed reduction of both hips. The clinical course and follow-up assessment of the patient was otherwise uneventful. Computed tomography scans, essential for diagnosing intra-articular loose bodies and subtle fractures, were performed after reduction and revealed in the right hip a nondisplaced acetabular rim fracture of the posterior wall on the side of the posterior dislocation. Hip dislocations are an injury requiring careful trauma evaluation to rule out concomitant injuries. Time to presentation and, more importantly, reduction of a hip dislocation, is essential in treating this injury and preventing long-term complications, such as avascular necrosis and posttraumatic arthritis. The incidence, anatomy, mechanism of injury, treatment options, and long-term sequelae of hip dislocation, with literature review, are discussed.