joint. The "ball part of the joint is the top part of the thigh bone. It is the femoral head. The "socket" is a part of the pelvic bone. The ball fits into a groove called the acetabulum. These bones fit together and are called the hip joint. The are held in place by strong bands called ligaments and muscles. When the thigh bone is pushed out of the socket, this is called a hip dislocation. It most often takes a great deal of force for this injury to happen. Other injuries, like a broken pelvis, often happen with a hip dislocation. This is a serious injury. It needs to be treated right away. You can have long-term damage to the nerves and blood vessels if you are not treated right away. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Rest. Allow your injury to heal before you do slow movements.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
- Prop your hip on pillows to help with swelling.
- Drugs
- Crutches or walker to take pressure off the injured hip
- Brace to keep your hip from moving
- Exercises
- Heat may be used later but not right away. Heat can make swelling worse. If your doctor tells you to use heat, put a heating pad on the painful part for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Never go to sleep with a heating pad on as this can cause burns.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. Your doctor may send you to physical therapy to help you heal faster. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
- Fight an infection
Will physical activity be limited?
You may need to rest your hip for a while. You should not do physical activity that makes your health problem worse. Talk to your doctor if you run, work out, or play sports. You may not be able to do those things until your health problem gets better. ‚
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
You cannot prevent a hip dislocation. You can lower your risk by preventing injuries or accidents. ‚
- Always wear a seat belt. Drive safely. Obey speed limits. Do not drink and drive.
- Stay active and work out to keep your muscles strong and flexible, especially if you have dislocated your hip in the past. If it has happened before, you are more likely to dislocate your hip again.
- Be careful when on ladders, roofs, or high places where a fall could happen.
- Keep your home free of clutter and well lit to lessen the chance of falling.
- Wear the right equipment when playing sports.
- Follow hip safety tips if you have had a total hip replacement:
- Do NOT bend your hip past a right angle (90 degrees).
- Do NOT cross your legs or ankles.
- Do NOT let your legs roll inward or outward and do NOT turn on your operated leg.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of a very bad reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat. Go to the ER right away.
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, very bad sore throat, ear or sinus pain, cough, more sputum or change in color of sputum, pain with passing urine, mouth sores, or wound that will not heal.
- Pain or swelling gets worse
- Numbness in your leg or foot
- Your leg or foot feels cold
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what changes I need to make with my activities.
- I can tell you what I will do I have more pain or swelling or I have or numbness jn my leg or foot.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons ‚
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00352 ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚