Question

A 65-year-old woman slips and falls on the bathroom floor. She has a posterior dislocation of the hip joint and a fracture of the neck of the femur.

If the acetabulum is fractured at its posterosuperior margin by dislocation of the hip joint, what bone could be involved?

Answer 1

In the case of a posterior dislocation of the hip joint with an acetabular fracture, the involved bone is the hip bone. This type of injury can lead to significant complications due to the hip joint's role in weight-bearing and mobility.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a 65-year-old woman experiences a posterior dislocation of the hip joint accompanied by a fracture of the neck of the femur and a fracture at the posterosuperior margin of the acetabulum, the bone involved would be the hip bone, specifically the part of the hip bone that forms the acetabulum.

The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint where the head of the femur (thigh bone) articulates with the acetabulum of the hip bone. It is designed to support the weight of the body in both static and dynamic postures. The acetabulum is further deepened by the acetabular labrum, which provides additional stability.

Hip fractures in elderly individuals, particularly those with conditions like osteoporosis, are significant as they often require surgical intervention and are associated with high morbidity and mortality due to complications from prolonged immobilization, such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and infections.