Case Study: Report of Nine Cases of Posterior Hip Dislocations in a Single Accident Involving a Modified Minibus

Abstract

Objectives: In Nigeria, owners of commercial minibuses commonly modify them by adding an extra row of seats and passengers also seat four abreast rather than the recommended three abreast. The modified minibuses carry nineteen passengers rather than the recommended twelve passengers. One such vehicle was fully occupied and had a head-on collision with a truck. Eight of the nineteen occupants sustained nine posterior dislocations of the hip joint.

Methods: We compared the seating space and the leg room of a similarly modified vehicle to an unmodified one.

Results: The legroom had been reduced from 120 cm in the unmodified vehicle to between 60 and 70 cm in the modified vehicle. We postulate that the tighter seating space forced the limbs into adduction and the shorter legroom caused the limb to more readily strike the seat in front, causing the hips to dislocate posteriorly.

Conclusions: We recommend that the authorities put a stop to uncensored vehicle modifications to reduce hip injuries.

Keywords:

• Posterior hip dislocation
• Vehicle modification
• Crash
• Injury

Notes

*Front rows in both vehicles seat three.