Posterior Hip Dislocations

Posterior Hip Dislocations, radiograph of a dislocated hip
Radiograph of a dislocated hip. Image by Heather (The original uploader was Glitzy queen00 at English Wikipedia.), Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Classification

Thompson & Epstein

TypeDescription
Iwith or without minor fracture
IIwith fracture posterior acetabular rim
IIIwith comminution of acetabular rim
IVwith fracture acetabular floor
Vwith fracture of femoral head (subclassification by Pipkin)
Thompson and Epstein Classification of Posterior Hip Dislocation

Pipkin

TypeDescription
Idislocation with femoral fracture caudal to fovea centralis
IIdislocation with femoral fracture cephalad to fovea centralis
IIIType I or II + fracture of femoral neck
IVType I or II + fracture of acetabulum
Pipkin Classification of Posterior Hip Dislocation

Reviewed by Professor Phong Tran, Head of Orthopaedic Surgery, Western Health. Last updated 10 October 2026.