Dislocated hip – why it happens and what’s the treatment

Hip dislocation is when the ball joint of your hip is forced out of its socket. Find out more and why fast treatment is vital.

What are the symptoms?

What causes it?

When to see a doctor and getting diagnosed

What are the treatments? 

What’s the recovery time?

Where to get support

Hip dislocation happens when the ball joint of your hip is forced out of its socket. It’s usually caused by a serious accident, although some conditions make the joint slip out of place more easily. In the long term, hip dislocation may lead to other problems, such as arthritis, but getting treatment fast can boost your chance of a good recovery.

A dislocated hip, or hip dislocation, means that the hip’s ball joint has been forced out of its socket, usually because of a major trauma, like a car crash, or a serious fall. 

It’s extremely painful, and you won’t be able to use your leg until it’s treated – plus, it can damage nearby tissues, blood vessels, nerves, and ligaments, sometimes causing long-term conditions such as arthritis and sciatica. 

__Hip dislocation is a medical emergency, so always call an ambulance straight away.__

## What are the symptoms?

Hip dislocation is a possibility if you’ve experienced a major traumatic injury, and

- you have severe pain 
- you have swelling around your hip joint
- the skin around the area is discolored
- your leg is rotated in or out
- your hip is obviously out of place
- you can’t move your leg or put any weight on it
- you have muscle spasms
- you’ve lost feeling in your hip or foot.

As hip dislocation usually happens due to an accident, you’re also likely to have related injuries, such as fractures in your hip socket or legs. 


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## What causes it?

Your hip joint is very stable, so it takes a lot of force to dislocate it. 

Car accidents are the most common cause, often when the knee hits the dashboard, forcing the thigh backward and pushing the ball head of the thighbone (femur) out of its socket. Wearing a seatbelt is the best way to lower your risk.  

Another typical cause is falling from a significant height, like the top of a ladder. Occasionally, hip dislocation can be the result of a collision while playing a sport such as football. 

Your hip joint may dislocate more easily if you have an artificial hip replacement, or [hip dysplasia](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/developmental-dysplasia-of-the-hip), a developmental condition that causes shallow hip sockets, and looser muscles and ligaments in the hip. 

With these conditions, or with general wear and tear, you’re also more likely to have a partial dislocation (also known as subluxation), where your joint shifts and comes partially out of the socket, but not fully.


## When to see a doctor and getting diagnosed

If you think you’ve dislocated your hip, call an ambulance – it’s important not to try and move your hip yourself. You need emergency medical care to manage the pain and reduce the risk of long-term damage. 

The longer your joint is out of place, the less stable it becomes – raising your risk of [arthritis](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/arthritis) and further dislocations in the future. 

A healthcare professional may be able to diagnose hip dislocation by sight, but they’re likely to carry out tests, including X-rays and CT scans, to assess the damage and check for other injuries. 


## What are the treatments? 

Your healthcare professional will carry out a procedure called a hip reduction for a dislocated hip, which involves physically moving your joint back into place as soon as possible – it should be done within 6 hours of the injury to lower the risk of long-term complications.

There are a few different techniques that healthcare professionals can use to get the joint back into place. Usually, a hip reduction is carried out without surgery, so you’re awake, but you’ll be given anesthetic and sedative medications to control pain and muscle spasms.

If you have other serious injuries, or you have an artificial hip, your healthcare professional may carry out the reduction under general anesthetic.


## What’s the recovery time?
You’re more likely to make a full recovery if you get treatment quickly. It can take 2-3 months for your hip to heal properly after a reduction, although it could be longer if you have other injuries. 

Your healthcare professional may advise you to limit movement at first. This doesn’t mean staying in bed though, which may raise the risk of [blood clots](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/thrombosis) such as [deep vein thrombosis](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/deep-vein-thrombosis) or [pulmonary embolism](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/pulmonary-embolism). 

They may also give advice to keep your hip stable – for example, avoiding sitting on low furniture, or crossing your legs.

You may need to use mobility aids at first, but most people can walk without crutches in around 1 week. After a few weeks, you’re likely to have physical therapy to strengthen the area and support your recovery.


## Where to get support

[Steps Worldwide](https://www.stepsworldwide.org/conditions/hip-dysplasia-ddh/) is a global organization supporting people with hip dysplasia.

[The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons](https://orthoinfo.aaos.org) has information on keeping joints healthy.


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References

Charlotte Haigh

Jo Wheatley

Dr Tamer T Malak

Article information

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