Bilateral hip dislocation with unilateral fractured acetabulum: a possible hazard of sitting crossed legged in a motor vehicle

Kim Poh Ong¹, Boon Chong Se To¹,Kevin Moissinac²

1. Department of Orthopaedics & Trauma. Hospital Pulau Pinang

2. Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia

Correspondence: Dr Kevin Moissinac

CITATION: Kim Poh Ong, Boon Chong Se To, Kevin Moissinac. Bilateral hip dislocation with unilateral fractured acetabulum: a possible hazard of sitting crossed-legged in a motor vehicle. International Medical Research Journal. 1999;3(1):17–9. 

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ABSTRACT

Bilateral traumatic dislocation of the hip is rare and infrequently reported. Bilateral traumatic hip dislocation with an associated unilateral acetabular fracture is even rarer. A case where a 43 year old lady sustained bilateral hip dislocation associated with a right acetabular fracture when she was sitting with her left leg crossed over the right in a bus which was involved in a collision is reported. Sitting with the legs crossed somewhat locks lower limbs and the femora in a fixed position with respect to the acetabuli and perhaps enables the impact of the collision to be concentrated. Had the lower limbs not been in this "locked" position this rare injury may not have occurred. Sitting crossed legged facing the direction of travel in moving vehicles may possibly predispose to the injury.

KEYWORDS: bilateral hip dislocation, cross legged, motor vehicle accident