Sciatic nerve injuries associated with traumatic posterior hip dislocations.
This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that patients transferred between hospitals with a dislocated hip have a greater incidence of sciatic nerve injury than patients who have their hip reduced at the first facility. One hundred six dislocated hips were included in this 12-year retrospective study. Sixty-nine hips were relocated at the first hospital and 36 patients were transferred with the hip still dislocated to LDS Hospital. There was a higher incidence of major sciatic nerve injury (complete sciatic or peroneal motor deficit) in patients transferred with the hip still dislocated (P =.0453). Time to relocation was significantly longer in patients with major motor nerve injury (P =.016). The presence of an associated fracture had no influence on sciatic nerve injury rates. The length of time a hip remains dislocated influences the incidence and severity of major sciatic nerve injury.
Hillyard
Robert F
RF
Division of Orthopedic Surgery, LDS Hospital, 370 Ninth Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT 84103, USA. osrhilly@ihc.com
Fox
Jolene
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006617:Hip Dislocation / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010360:Patient Transfer; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices