Femoral head fracture without dislocation by low-energy trauma in a young adult.

We describe the case of a healthy young man with a femoral head fracture by low-energy trauma that occurred without evidence of hip dislocation. While plain radiographs showed no definite fracture or dislocation, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a femoral head fracture with a wedge-shaped cortical depression at the superomedial aspect of the femoral head. Our patient reported feeling that the right hip had been displaced from its joint for a moment. This probably represented subluxation with spontaneous relocation. The characteristic findings and possible mechanisms of this fracture were postulated on the basis of the sequential 3 dimensional-CT and MRI. The clinical results of conservative treatment were better than those of previously reported indentation fractures.