Sciatic nerve injuries associated with traumatic posterior hip dislocations

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.