Hip Dislocation: Emergency Care, Symptoms, and Long-Term Recovery
Updated: 2 days ago
Medically reviewed by Dr. Baraa Alnahhal, MD · Last reviewed: October 2026
Quick Answer
A hip dislocation is an emergency injury, most commonly from a car crash, that needs immediate hospital care, and correction is most successful within a few hours. About 90% are posterior dislocations. Treatment is hip reduction under anesthesia, with surgery if needed. Full healing takes two to three months, and arthritis develops in about 50% of cases. [1]
What the research says
Delay raises the risk of bone death and arthritis. A systematic review and meta-analysis of adult traumatic hip dislocations found avascular necrosis event rates of 0.087 to 0.333 after anterior dislocations and 0.106 to 0.430 after posterior ones. Posttraumatic arthritis rates ranged from 0.125 to 0.700 (anterior) and 0.194 to 0.586 (posterior). The odds of avascular necrosis were 5.627 times higher when the hip was reduced after 12 hours rather than before. (Kellam & Ostrum, J Orthop Trauma, 2016)
Timing and associated injuries drive outcomes. A 2024 review calls traumatic dislocation of a native hip an orthopaedic emergency and concludes that short and long-term outcomes are largely driven by the time from injury to reduction and by associated injuries. It also notes there is no consensus yet on the best activity protocol after a simple dislocation. (Benedick et al., J Am Acad Orthop Surg, 2024)
Children with a fracture-dislocation are at especially high risk. In a systematic review of 35 children and teens with hip dislocation plus a femoral neck fracture through the growth plate, 88.57% developed avascular necrosis. The authors say reduction should be attempted within six hours of injury, though this may not remove the risk. (Haram et al., Children, 2022)
What Is a Hip Dislocation?
Hip dislocation is a painful event in which the ball joint of your hip comes out of its socket. It usually occurs from a significant traumatic injury, and artificial hip replacements are somewhat easier to dislocate. [1]
A dislocated hip causes acute pain and disables your leg until it is corrected. It can also cause secondary injuries to the surrounding blood vessels, nerves, ligaments and tissues, and it can cause long-term damage, especially if it is not treated right away. [1]
Hip Dislocation and Hip Dysplasia
Hip dislocation can sometimes result from hip dysplasia, a developmental condition in which the hip joint does not fit well in the socket. People with hip dysplasia have shallow sockets and may have loose muscles and ligaments, so it takes less force to displace the joint. [1]
What Is a Subluxation?
A partial dislocation is called a subluxation, in which the ball joint shifts partly, but not all the way, out of its socket. It can be mild or severe and is common in people with hip dysplasia and hip replacements. Severe cases are usually caused by injury and may need to be reset by a healthcare professional, so seek help if you are in severe pain or unable to walk. [1]
Causes of Hip Dislocation
It normally takes a lot of force to push the hip out of its socket, so a dislocation is usually caused by a traumatic injury. A car crash is the most common cause. A significant fall, or a sports or industrial workplace injury, can also do it. If you have hip dysplasia, or have had a hip replacement, much less force may be needed. [1]
Symptoms and What It Looks Like
Looking at the injury from the outside, your leg is locked in a fixed position, rotated inward or outward. About 90% of the time the joint is forced backward out of the socket (posterior dislocation), which leaves the knee and foot pointing inward. When the hip is pushed forward (anterior dislocation), the knee and foot point outward. The rotated leg may also look shorter or longer than the other. [1]
Type | What it looks like | How often |
Posterior | The hip is forced backward out of the socket, and the knee and foot point inward. | About 90% of the time |
Anterior | The hip is pushed forward out of the socket, and the knee and foot point outward. | Less common |
Symptoms of hip dislocation include: [1]
Acute pain
Muscle spasms
Swelling or discoloration at the hip joint
A leg that is rotated inward or outward
Inability to move your leg
Inability to bear weight on your leg
Loss of feeling in your hip or foot
A hip that is visibly out of place
Possible Complications
A dislocated joint can damage nearby nerves, blood vessels and tissues, which may need to be repaired separately. Sometimes the damage has long-term consequences: [1]
Nerve damage: A dislocation can compress your sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back through your hip and down your leg. This causes chronic pain, commonly known as sciatica, and damage can impair your ability to flex your foot and toes.
Osteonecrosis: If the femoral artery in front of your joint is damaged, blood supply to the bone can be cut off. The bone tissue begins to die and tiny fractures form, which destroys the bone's structural integrity.
Arthritis: A dislocation can damage the cartilage that cushions the ball joint and the ring of cartilage around the socket (the labrum). This often leads to arthritis and increases the likelihood of needing a hip replacement later in life.
How Is a Dislocated Hip Diagnosed?
A trained provider can often identify a dislocated hip by looking at it, but will also do a full physical evaluation to check for other related injuries. They may order X-rays or a CT scan to see the position of your bones and screen for fractures before trying to correct the dislocation. [1]
Emergency Care and Treatment
Urgent Care
If you suspect a dislocated hip, do not try to move it. Call an ambulance and go to the emergency room. The injury is acutely painful and must be treated urgently to minimize long-term damage. Correction requires training, medication and assistance, and it is only safe after other related injuries have been identified. Correction is most successful when performed within a few hours of the injury. [1]
Hip Reduction
To correct a dislocated hip, your provider physically moves the joint back into place. When there are no secondary injuries, this can be done externally, which is called a closed reduction. It takes a lot of force, so your provider will recommend some combination of anesthetic and sedatives to reduce pain and muscle spasms, and sometimes general anesthesia is used. [1]
Surgery
If there are significant secondary injuries, the reduction may need to be done in the operating room, where nerves and blood vessels can also be treated. Surgery is also the treatment of choice for infants who have had a hip dislocation, especially from hip dysplasia, and it has a 90% success rate with infants. If a hip replacement is the joint that dislocated, the implant may need to be replaced or reinforced. [1]
Recovery and Outlook
After the joint is reduced, it can still take two to three months for your hip to fully heal. Your provider may recommend limiting hip movement for the first few weeks, followed by physical therapy, and you might need crutches for the first week or two. If you have a replacement hip, a brace may be recommended while it heals. [1]
Time-sensitive treatment is more likely to result in a full recovery, and the risk of long-term complications from injured nerves and blood vessels rises if they are not treated within hours. All hip dislocations weaken the muscles and ligaments that hold the hip in place and erode the cartilage, which can make future dislocations more likely and leads to arthritis in about 50% of cases. [1]
How to Prevent Hip Dislocation
Safety: Always wear a seatbelt in the car and wear protective gear in contact sports. Take care when using a ladder or workplace equipment.
Conditioning: If you have dislocated a hip before, strengthen the hip tendons and muscles through physical therapy and keep them conditioned with regular exercise.
Hip dysplasia care: Children with hip dysplasia should be treated while their skeletons are still growing.
Hip implant care: Follow the safety guidelines you were given after hip replacement, hold the rail on stairs and take bending at the waist slowly.
Conclusion
A dislocated hip is a traumatic injury that calls for immediate action. Fast reduction gives you the best chance of a full recovery, and rehabilitation helps protect the joint afterward. Knowing the risks, including arthritis later in life, helps you plan your long-term joint health with your care team.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is a dislocated hip a medical emergency?
Yes. It causes acute pain and disables your leg until it is corrected, and it can damage nearby blood vessels, nerves, ligaments and tissues. Immediate care reduces the chance of long-term complications. [1]
What is the most common cause?
A car crash is the most common cause. A significant fall, a sports injury or an industrial workplace injury can also do it. [1]
What is a reduction?
A reduction is the procedure in which a healthcare provider physically moves the joint back into place. A combination of anesthetic and sedatives is used to reduce pain and muscle spasms, and sometimes it is done under general anesthesia. [1]
Can I put my own hip back in place?
No. If you suspect a dislocated hip, do not try to move it. Call an ambulance and go to the emergency room, because correction takes training, medication and assistance and is only safe once other injuries have been identified. [1]
How long does recovery take?
After the joint is reduced, it can still take two to three months for the hip to fully heal. You might need crutches for the first week or two. [1]
Will I need surgery?
Not always. If there are no secondary injuries, the correction can be done externally (closed reduction). Surgery is used for significant secondary injuries, and it is also the treatment of choice for infants. [1]
Does a dislocated hip always lead to arthritis?
Not always, but arthritis develops over time in about 50% of cases, and it may lead to an eventual hip replacement. [1]
What is a subluxation?
A subluxation is a partial dislocation, in which the ball joint shifts partly out of its socket but not all the way. It can be mild or severe, and severe cases may be nearly as painful as a full dislocation. [1]
What is osteonecrosis?
If the femoral artery is damaged, blood supply to the bone can be cut off. The bone tissue begins to die and tiny fractures form, which is called osteonecrosis or avascular necrosis. [1]
Can a hip replacement dislocate?
Yes. Artificial hips are somewhat easier to dislocate, sometimes from something as simple as sitting on a low chair or crossing your legs. [1]
What is the sciatic nerve?
The sciatic nerve runs from your lower back through your hip and down your leg to your foot and toes. A dislocated joint can compress it and cause chronic pain, and damage can impair your ability to flex your foot and toes. [1]
How can I prevent hip dislocation?
Always wear a seatbelt, wear protective gear in contact sports, and take care with ladders and workplace equipment. If you have dislocated a hip before, physical therapy and regular exercise can help reinforce the joint. [1]
Related Reading
References
Cleveland Clinic. Hip Dislocation. Cleveland Clinic. Last updated December 21, 2021. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22222-hip-dislocation
Kellam P, Ostrum RF. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Avascular Necrosis and Posttraumatic Arthritis After Traumatic Hip Dislocation. J Orthop Trauma. 2016;30(1):10-6. PMID 26849386. https://doi.org/10.1097/BOT.0000000000000419
Benedick A, Lopas L, Daley E, et al. Traumatic Hip Dislocation: Pediatric and Adult Evaluation and Management. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2024;32(14):637-646. PMID 38713755. https://doi.org/10.5435/JAAOS-D-23-01013
Haram O, Odagiu E, Florea C, et al. Traumatic Hip Dislocation Associated with Proximal Femoral Physeal Fractures in Children: A Systematic Review. Children (Basel). 2022;9(5):612. PMID 35626789. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9050612
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have about a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking care because of something you have read here. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.
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