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Bilateral occult hip fracture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2015

Willis B. Grad  and
Nicholas M. Desy
Willis B. Grad*
Affiliation:
Emergency Department, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC
Nicholas M. Desy
Affiliation:
Orthopedic surgery residency program, Division of Orthopedic Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC
*
Emergency Department, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Côte Ste, Catherine Rd, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2; willis.grad@mcgill.ca.

Abstract

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One of the most common acute injuries seen in the emergency department is the hip fracture. This injury is usually diagnosed by plain radiographs, however these fractures are sometimes not obviously apparent. Occult hip fractures present a pitfall for emergency department physicians. We present a case of a patient who sustained bilateral occult hip fractures. We review the epidemiology of the condition, examine what diagnostic studies are available that may help the physician avoid missing the occult hip fracture and what the literature tells us about the utility of each of these modalities. The prognosis of the occult hip fracture along with options for treatment is also discussed.

Keywords

bone scanbone scintigraphycomputed tomographyfemurhip fracturemagnetic resonance imagingoccult hip fractureultrasonography
Type
Case Report • Rapport de cas
Information
Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine , Volume 14 , Issue 6 , November 2012 , pp. 372 - 377
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians 2012

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