Hip contusion

A hip contusion is a fairly serious injury. Its complexity is that a contusion does not cause a wound, it is a closed injury, the structure of tissues and organs is not significantly damaged.

Causes of hip contusion

The essence of the hip contusion injury is damage to blood vessels, which causes hemorrhage into muscle tissue and subcutaneous tissue. Bruises where the hip contusion occurred appear as a blue-purple spot that changes color to greenish and yellow.

A hip contusion occurs when the soft tissues are hit hard, for example, by a heavy object, or a person falls hard, say, from a significant height or when running at high speed. This injury is also common in road accidents and at work.

Most often, hip contusions occur in professional athletes - those who play football, hockey, rugby, pentathlon, motorsports, etc. But ordinary people are also susceptible to such injuries.

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Symptoms of a hip contusion

• the thigh increases in size and swells;
• subcutaneous hemorrhage;
• pain occurs when touched;
• the knee joint functions with complications and discomfort. When bending the knee, pain occurs;
• a person may limp;
• enlarged lymph nodes;
• increase in temperature;

Severe bruise of the hip

With a severe hip contusion, all symptoms are pronounced and greatly intensified. Internal bleeding can last for about a day. The danger of a severe hip contusion is that it can disrupt the functioning of nearby internal organs.

Diagnosis of hip contusion

A traumatologist examines the victim. When a hip is bruised, when the doctor presses or the person strains the nearby muscles, painful sensations arise. If the ischial tuberosity is injured, pain often appears in the posterior group of the thigh muscles. When the anterior surface is bruised, the quadriceps muscle of the thigh hurts. Pain can also appear passively, when the leg is moved not by the patient, but by the doctor. An injured iliac crest gives pain during active abduction and passive adduction, a hip bruise from the front is noticeable when the patient actively extends the shin and flexes the thigh.

More serious injuries require additional diagnostics. They take an X-ray, which allows them to see what exactly – a bruise or a fracture – the doctors are dealing with.

Magnetic resonance imaging is also effective. Hematoma, skin and subcutaneous fat detachment, muscle rupture, labral rupture, stress fracture of the femoral neck and other minor fractures that were not shown by X-ray - all this can be seen by magnetic resonance imaging. It is usually used if conservative treatment has not shown the desired effects.

There is no specific diagnostic for a hip contusion. But when there is severe swelling (upper thigh, gluteal region), it is necessary to make sure that there is no subfascial hypertension syndrome (case). In other words, that the affected muscles are not pinched in their bone-fascial beds. To check this, the pressure in these beds is measured.

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First aid for a hip contusion

First aid is provided as quickly as possible and is aimed at stopping the bleeding, because if large vessels are injured during a hip contusion, it can last from several hours to a day.

The patient should be laid down, the injured leg should be raised, cold should be applied and a tight bandage should be made. As soon as the cooling bandage warms up, it should be changed to a new one.

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Treatment of hip contusion

Treatment of a hip contusion can be conservative or surgical.

Conservative treatment

Ice is immediately applied to the hip contusion and a pressure bandage is applied. Any loads are excluded. The person should visit a traumatologist as soon as possible. If the injury is relatively mild, electrophoresis is performed using iodide novocaine and potassium. The specialist applies a pressure bandage-sleeve. After a week, sessions of light suction massage and warm baths begin. Physical activity is allowed after 10-12 days.

When a severe hip contusion is observed, which subsequently damages muscle tissue, the patient is hospitalized. Treatment is carried out with stationary novocaine blockades, which are repeated every 5 days 3-4 times. An oil-balsamic bandage is applied from the shin to the groin. The leg is placed on a Baler splint (2-2.5 weeks). After removing the bandage, if the hip contusion heals well, the patient is able to slightly move the hip and knee joint, as well as walk on crutches, warm baths are prescribed.

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Surgical treatment of hip contusion

Surgical treatment is used when there is an extensive hematoma and fluctuation in the damaged area of the hip contusion. The hematoma is opened, muscle detritus and blood clots are removed. The cavity is drained with a rubber tube, then treated with symptomatic agents and antibiotics. Then the recovery time increases. And the hip contusion should be constantly monitored by specialists to prevent ossification. Physical activity is allowed 3 months after the hip contusion.

Folk remedies for treating hip contusion

Cottage cheese, onion juice or crushed onion compresses are good for applying to the site of a hip bruise. The compresses are worn all day, changing the contents several times. Apple cider vinegar is also used, which is heated, salt and a couple of drops of iodine are added. The bruised area is wrapped with a cloth soaked in the solution, ice is applied on top and everything is wrapped with a bandage. This method removes even large hematomas. Table vinegar is effectively mixed with garlic. Two crushed heads of garlic in 0.6 liters of vinegar are infused for 24 hours, then the hip bruise is lubricated with this mixture. Butter is rubbed into the injured area. Another method is to apply grated raw potatoes and fresh cabbage leaves, white bread soaked in hot milk.

A hip contusion is a serious injury, so in any case, you should first consult a traumatologist to determine the severity of the injury and make sure there are no fractures.

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