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Traumatic Dislocation of the Hip
What Is It?
In a normal hip joint, the rounded top of the thigh bone (femur) fits into a cup-shaped socket in the pelvis called the acetabulum. This type of joint is called a ball-and-socket joint. When the top of the femur moves out of its normal position in the socket, the hip is said to be disclocated.
A hip can become dislocated during many kinds of accidents, including falls from high places and motorcycle or car accidents. When this injury occurs in a head-on car crash, it is often nicknamed a "dashboard dislocation," because it happens when the knee strikes the dashboard.
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