ACETABULAR FRACTURES AND POSTERIOR HIP DISCLOCATIONS IN YOUNG ADULTS: CASE PRESENTATION AND LITERATURE REVIEW

Background. Posterior hip dislocations with associated posterior acetabular fractures are uncommon, primarily occurring in adults under 70 years old in high-energy injuries. Such injuries in adolescents are rare and are less documented in literature. Imaging is important for identifying the type of dislocation and fracture, and any associated injuries. Closed reduction should be performed as soon as possible, no later than 12 hours of dislocation to reduce the risk of avascular necrosis or other compli­cations. Definitive management is individual, depending on the hip stability, patient and injury characteristics. While treatment options and outcome predictors may not differ significantly from adults, the unique anatomy and physiology of adolescents should be considered.

Case presentation. We report a case of a patient who sustained a simple fall and presented with a hip dislo­cation. Upon CT examination, a posterior acetabular wall fracture was observed.

Conclusions. Posterior acetabular fractures are uncom­mon and typically occur with hip dislocations in youn­ger patients, where high-energy trauma is needed, ma­king it extremely rare for such injuries to result from a low-energy fall. While hip dislocations with acetabular fractures are well documented in adults, they are rarely reported in children and adolescents. However, treatment options and outcome predictors for these age groups are like those for adults. Patient outcomes largely depend on the severity of the injury and the timeliness of interven­tion, with most patients achieving good recovery when managed appropriately.