Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Anterior hip dislocations are less common in orthopedic casualties than posterior and are associated with concurrent injuries such as acetabulum fracture, femoral head fracture, or unstable pelvic injuries. Rarer still, is the obturator dislocation of the hip, with only a handful cases described in the literature with no established treatment protocols. CASE REPORT: We treated a young male injured in a car accident and sustained an anterior hip dislocation (obturator type) with a concomitant fracture of the ipsilateral greater trochanter. This type of injury is rare and there is no consensus in medical literature regarding the mechanism and treatment of such an entity. The initial close relocation of the hip under anaesthesia and open reduction and internal fixation with cancellous screws produced outstanding results over a follow-up period of 3 years. The abductor mechanism was intact and in continuity with the shattered greater trochanter as well as the vastus lateralis muscle intra-operatively. CONCLUSION: At the 3-year follow-up, the patient had an outstanding functional hip joint with no chronic morbidity, such as avascular necrosis or arthritic alterations. A review of the literature was done evaluate the proposed mechanism and management of such a rare injury.