Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the relationship between mechanism of injury, type of femoral fracture
and type of acetabular fracture in floating hip injury.
Design: Historical retrospective.
Patients: Twenty consecutive patients who sustained a floating hip injury, i.e. simultaneous
ipsilateral fracture of the acetabulum and the femur.
Intervention: Statistical analysis of the correlation between the mechanism of injury and fracture
type.
Results: Two main patterns of floating hip injury were observed. The first is the posterior
type, which occurs due to a longitudinal force along the femur that causes first,
a posterior type fracture of the acetabulum and thereafter, a midshaft femoral fracture.
The second pattern is the central type, caused by a lateral blow to the greater trochanter,
which then causes a central fracture-dislocation of the acetabulum and a proximal
fracture of the femur.
Conclusions: This observation explains the biomechanical nature of this injury and has treatment
related implications.
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
November 6,
2001
Identification
Copyright
© 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
