Acetabular Fracture

An acetabular fracture is the medical name for breaking your hip socket. It’s a type of broken hip.

The acetabulum is the socket-shaped part of your pelvis. The top of your thigh bone (the femoral head) is shaped like a ball. It fits into your acetabulum to form your hip joint.

Hip fractures happen when you break either the femoral neck or the acetabulum. Most hip fractures happen when the femoral neck is broken. Acetabular fractures are much less common.

Fractured acetabulum symptoms

Acetabular fracture symptoms can include:

• Severe hip pain
• Not being able to move your hip or leg
• Numbness, tingling or weakness in your hip and leg (if the injury damaged nerves)

Don’t try to move or put weight on your leg if you think your hip might be broken. Call for emergency help or go to the emergency room.

Acetabular fracture causes

It usually takes a serious injury to break your acetabulum, like:

• Car or motorcycle accidents
• Falls from a high place, like off a roof or ladder
• Severe sports injuries

It’s less common, but osteoporosis can weaken your hip bones enough to cause an acetabular fracture. This can happen from minor falls that usually aren’t serious enough to fracture your bones.

Complications of this condition

Acetabular fractures are complex injuries, and they can lead to complications like:

• Blood clots
• Post-traumatic arthritis
• Nerve damage, especially the sciatic nerve
• Avascular necrosis
• Bone infections
• Heterotopic ossification

It’s possible that you’ll never regain all your original strength or mobility, even after you recover.

You might experience other complications if you have other injuries.

How doctors diagnose acetabular fractures

A healthcare provider will diagnose a fractured acetabulum with a physical exam and imaging tests. Your provider will examine your hip and the area around it. Tests like X-rays or CT scans will show damage to your bones and other tissues.

Providers might diagnose and treat other injuries if they’re life-threatening. They’ll make sure you’re stable and safe before diagnosing the fracture.

Acetabular fracture treatments

You’ll probably need surgery to repair your hip joint. You may need:

• Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF): This is the most common surgical technique for acetabular fractures. A surgeon will repair damage inside your joint and realign your bones.
• Hip replacement: This surgery is typically only done in severe cases. Your surgeon will replace your hip joint if your acetabulum is too damaged to be repaired.

It’s rare, but sometimes a fractured acetabulum can heal without surgery. Your provider may suggest:

• Crutches or a walker: You won’t be able to put weight on your hip while it heals. You may need these mobility aids for a few months.
• A leg-positioning device: Wearing a brace or cast will hold your hip bone in a safe position and make sure you can’t put too much pressure on it.
• Medications: Your provider will suggest medications to help manage pain. You may also need blood thinners to reduce your risk of blood clots.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Call for emergency help if you think your hip is broken, or if you experience a severe trauma like a car accident or fall. Don’t try to walk or use your hip. If you have to move to avoid being in an unsafe position, do everything you can not to move or put pressure on your injured hip.

Your care team will let you know how often you’ll need follow-up exams and tests while you recover. They’ll schedule more X-rays or other imaging tests to make sure your acetabulum and hip joint are healing properly.

Acetabular fracture recovery

It will take several months to recover from an acetabular fracture. Your care team will give you a customized recovery timeline based on a few factors, including:

• Your age
• Whether you need surgery
• Any complications you experience
• Other injuries you have

You’ll need to use a walker or crutches for up to three months to help keep weight off your hip while it heals.

Don’t put more weight on your hip and leg than your provider says is safe. Walking as you normally would or doing physical activities too soon can increase your risk of complications. You may even break your acetabulum again. You may need to avoid running and other intense physical activities for up to 18 months.

You’ll need a few months of physical therapy. A physical therapist will give you a customized exercise and movement plan to help you regain strength and mobility in your hip.