Sciatic Nerve Injuries Associated With Traumatic Posterior Hip Dislocations.
HILLYARD, ROBERT F. MD *; FOX, JOLENE RN +
[Article] American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 21(7):545-548, November 2003.

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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. (Am J Emerg Med 2003;21:545-548. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

(C) 2003 W.B. Saunders Company, a Harcourt Health Sciences Company