Traumatic hip dislocation in a 3-year-old girl.

Traumatic hip dislocation in the pediatric patient requires much less energy than in an adult, yet it remains a rare diagnosis. We report the case of a 3-year-old girl who dislocated her right hip when bindings failed to release as she skied downhill. The hip was promptly reduced in the nearest trauma center, and at 18 months after injury, there is no evidence of avascular necrosis. The potential risk of avascular necrosis is significant, and the risk rises greatly when reduction is delayed beyond 6 hours. Reduction can be safely performed in the emergency department, although up to 25% of cases will require open reduction in the operating room. A high index of suspicion is warranted to not miss the "golden window" and achieve satisfactory reduction in a timely fashion.