Occult acetabular fracture in an elderly runner

STUDY DESIGN: Resident's case problem. BACKGROUND: A 79-year-old African American male runner sustained a left hip injury while jogging on a running track. Initial radiographs did not show any bony injuries and the patient was diagnosed with hip tendonitis. The patient was initially treated conservatively with medications and referred to a local physical therapy clinic for thermal modalities and therapeutic exercises. The patient failed to show any improvement despite a period of conservative treatment. The author examined the patient 6 months postinjury at a university physical therapy department. DIAGNOSIS: The author suspected the presence of a possible fracture and the patient was referred to an orthopaedic surgeon. Subsequent radiographic imaging studies including a CT scan revealed a supra-acetabular fracture. The patient underwent a total hip arthroplasty approximately 1 year after the initial injury and has since recovered well. DISCUSSION: It is not uncommon for runners or joggers to develop hip or pelvic pain, but there has been no prior report in the literature of the occurrence of an acetabular hip fracture while jogging. This resident's case problem illustrates the challenges of arriving at an accurate diagnosis in the presence of a rare fracture and the need for careful follow-up, especially among elderly individuals with cognitive deficits.