When considering taking legal action for possible medical negligence related to delayed reduction in a traumatic hip dislocation, there are many factors that need to be considered.
There are other causes of avascular necrosis. Examples include, but are not limited to: arthritis, cancer, gout, alcohol use, joint injuries and long-term medication use involving corticosteroids, bisphosphonates or statins, a specific type of cholesterol lowering agent. (Kelly, et al., 2014) Medical and medication history must be thoroughly reviewed.
As mentioned last week, AVN can occur within 2 years after the initial injury. The severity of the initial injury, even with reduction under 6 hours, could have caused significant damage resulting in necrosis. In a study of 35 patients with severe posterior dislocations, the rate of AVN was 58.8% in those who had their dislocation reduced more than 6 hours after their injury. There was a 4.8% rate of AVN when reduction occurred within 6 hours. 3 patients developed AVN even though their dislocation was reduced in under 6 hours. (Dwyer, John, Singh, & Mam, 2006). A person’s health and medication history can also influence recovery time and the potential for additional complications. Timely reduction does not guarantee prevention of avascular necrosis.
For our civil newsletter and blog this month we are reviewing traumatic hip dislocations and delayed reduction. The blog topics for this month are:
- Hip Anatomy (3/2/15)
- Traumatic Dislocation (3/9/15)
- Avascular necrosis (3/16/15)
- Legal Implications (3/23/15)
Note: To see all posts in this topic, click here
