NEW: Express access to COVID-19 vaccine record is now available.MyHealth.Alberta.ca Network

Hip Injuries, Age 11 and Younger

Pelvic and hip fracture sites, Opens dialog

Overview

A hip injury can be hard to deal with, both for the child who has the injury and for the parent or caregiver. A child who has a hip injury may feel pain in the hip, groin, thigh, or knee. A child in pain may limp or be unable or unwilling to stand, walk, or move the injured hip. A baby in pain may cry, be fussy, and have other signs of pain.

To better understand hip injuries, it may be helpful to know how the hip works. It's the largest ball-and-socket joint in the body. The thigh bone (femur) fits tightly into a cup-shaped socket (acetabulum) in the pelvis. The hip joint is tighter and more stable than the shoulder joint, but it doesn't move as freely. The hip joint is held together by muscles in the buttock, groin, and spine; tendons; ligaments; and a joint capsule. Several fluid-filled sacs (bursae) cushion and lubricate the hip joint and let the tendons and muscles glide and move smoothly. The largest nerve in the body (sciatic nerve) passes through the pelvis into the leg.

Hip injuries

A sudden (acute) injury may occur from a fall on a hip, a direct blow to a hip or knee, or abnormal twisting or bending of the leg. Acute injuries include:

Muscle strain in the hip, groin, or buttock.
Bruising (contusion) of the hip muscles (hip pointer). Deep muscle bruising may occur with other injuries to the hip. The muscles may spasm and feel tender.
A dislocated hip, a hip fracture, or a pelvic fracture. Dislocations and fractures of the hips and pelvis aren't often seen in children unless a severe injury (such as a car crash) has occurred.
Avulsion fracture. This occurs when a tendon or ligament forcibly tears away from a bone and breaks off a piece of bone.

Treatment may include first aid and using a brace, cast, harness, or traction. It may also include physiotherapy and medicines. In some cases, surgery is needed. Treatment for a hip injury depends on:

The location and type of injury, and how bad it is.
The child's age, general health, and activity level.

Check Your Symptoms

Has your child had a hip injury? Review health risks that may make any symptom more serious.

Yes

Hip injury

Many things can affect how your body responds to a symptom and what kind of care you may need. These include:

Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker.
Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner.
Medicines you take. Certain medicines, such as blood thinners (anticoagulants), medicines that suppress the immune system like steroids or chemotherapy, or natural health products can cause symptoms or make them worse.
Recent health events, such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious.
Your health habits and lifestyle, such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel.

Major trauma is any event that can cause very serious injury, such as:

A fall from more than 3.1 m (10 ft)[more than 1.5 m (5 ft) for children under 2 years and adults over 65].
A car crash in which any vehicle involved was going more than 32 km (20 miles) per hour.
Any event that causes severe bleeding that you cannot control.
Any event forceful enough to badly break a large bone (like an arm bone or leg bone).

With severe bleeding, any of these may be true:

Blood is pumping from the wound.
The bleeding does not stop or slow down with pressure.
Blood is quickly soaking through bandage after bandage.

With moderate bleeding, any of these may be true:

The bleeding slows or stops with pressure but starts again if you remove the pressure.
The blood may soak through a few bandages, but it is not fast or out of control.

With mild bleeding, any of these may be true:

The bleeding stops on its own or with pressure.
The bleeding stops or slows to an ooze or trickle after 15 minutes of pressure. It may ooze or trickle for up to 45 minutes.

Pain in children 3 years and older

Severe pain (8 to 10): The pain is so bad that the child can't stand it for more than a few hours, can't sleep, and can't do anything else except focus on the pain. No one can tolerate severe pain for more than a few hours.
Moderate pain (5 to 7): The pain is bad enough to disrupt the child's normal activities and sleep, but the child can tolerate it for hours or days.
Mild pain (1 to 4): The child notices and may complain of the pain, but it is not bad enough to disrupt his or her sleep or activities.

Pain in children under 3 years

It can be hard to tell how much pain a baby or toddler is in.

Severe pain (8 to 10): The pain is so bad that the baby cannot sleep, cannot get comfortable, and cries constantly no matter what you do. The baby may kick, make fists, or grimace.
Moderate pain (5 to 7): The baby is very fussy, clings to you a lot, and may have trouble sleeping but responds when you try to comfort him or her.
Mild pain (1 to 4): The baby is a little fussy and clings to you a little but responds when you try to comfort him or her.

When an area turns blue, very pale, or cold, it can mean that there has been a sudden change in the blood supply to the area. This can be serious.

There are other reasons for colour and temperature changes. Bruises often look blue. A limb may turn blue or pale if you leave it in one position for too long, but its normal colour returns after you move it. What you are looking for is a change in how the area looks (it turns blue or pale) and feels (it becomes cold to the touch), and this change does not go away.

Shock is a life-threatening condition that may occur quickly after a sudden illness or injury.

Babies and young children often have several symptoms of shock. These include:

Passing out (losing consciousness).
Being very sleepy or hard to wake up.
Not responding when being touched or talked to.
Breathing much faster than usual.
Acting confused. The child may not know where he or she is.

Symptoms of infection may include:

Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in or around the area.
Red streaks leading from the area.
Pus draining from the area.
A fever.

Certain health conditions and medicines weaken the immune system's ability to fight off infection and illness. Some examples in children are:

Diseases such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and congenital heart disease.
Steroid medicines, which are used to treat a variety of conditions.
Medicines taken after organ transplant.
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer.
Not having a spleen.

Hip Injuries, Age 12 and Older

Hip Problems, Age 11 and Younger

Post-Operative Problems

C undefined
R 13.8.0.0

Self-Care

Try the following tips to help relieve your child's hip pain, swelling, and stiffness. If your child becomes upset or won't co-operate, don't force your child.

Rest.
Have your child rest and protect the injured or sore hip. Have your child stop, change, or take a break from any activity that may be causing pain or soreness.
For sleep, put your child on the side that isn't injured.
Avoid things that might increase swelling.
For the first 48 hours after an injury, don't let your child do things that might increase swelling. These things include taking hot showers, using hot tubs, and using hot packs.
Apply heat.
- After 2 or 3 days, you can try applying heat to the area that hurts. Types of heat therapy include microwavable packs and disposable heating patches.
- Apply heat for 10 to 20 minutes at a time.
- You might also try switching between cold and heat.
Resume normal activities.
After 48 to 72 hours, if swelling is gone, your child can carefully do their normal activities.
Rub your child's hip.
Gently massage or rub your child's hip to relieve pain and encourage blood flow. Don't massage the injured area if it causes pain.

When to call for help during self-care

Call a doctor if any of the following occur during self-care at home:

New pain or swelling.
New signs of infection, such as redness, warmth, or a fever.
New numbness, tingling, or weakness.
New pale, white, blue, or cold skin.
Trouble bearing weight on the hip.
Symptoms occur more often or are more severe.

Learn more

Over-the-counter medicines

More self-care

Information about Hip Injuries, Age 11 and Younger

Preparing For Your Appointment

Related Information

Credits

Current as of: July 31, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff

Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Ignite Healthwise, LLC, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.

Click here to learn about Ignite Healthwise, LLC

To learn more about Ignite Healthwise, LLC, visit webmdignite.com.

Hip Injuries, Age 11 and Younger

Overview

Hip, Opens dialog

Pelvic and hip fracture sites, Opens dialog

Overview

To better understand hip injuries, it may be helpful to know how the hip (Figure 1) works. It's the largest ball-and-socket joint in the body. The thigh bone (femur) fits tightly into a cup-shaped socket (acetabulum) in the pelvis. The hip joint is tighter and more stable than the shoulder joint, but it doesn't move as freely. The hip joint is held together by muscles in the buttock, groin, and spine; tendons; ligaments; and a joint capsule. Several fluid-filled sacs (bursae) cushion and lubricate the hip joint and let the tendons and muscles glide and move smoothly. The largest nerve in the body (sciatic nerve) passes through the pelvis into the leg.