Traumatic anterior dislocation of hip joint with vascular damage.

Closed reduction of an anterior dislocation of the hip joint in a 15-year-old boy failed because of interposition of capsule, iliopsoas and rectus femoris muscles. The immediate complications were compression of the common femoral artery, tear of the femoral vein, and fat embolism 24 hours after the injury. The sequelae were periarticular ossification and avascular necrosis of the femoral head. The definitive treatment was a Charnley total hip arthroplasty.