My 10-year-old son tripped over the dog and fell. He fractured his pelvis and dislocated his hip. He’s had surgery and is in rehab, but there is a sharp pain in his groin that just isn’t going away. What could be causing this?

Groin pain can be caused by a variety of causes. After an injury of this type, persistent pain should be evaluated by the orthopedic surgeon. There could be a incongruous reduction. Incongruous reduction means the hip has returned to its natural, anatomic position, but cartilage, capsular tissue, or a bone fragment has lodged itself between the femoral head and the acetabulum.

This will prevent normal movement and can lead to osteonecrosis of the femoral head (death of the bone due to loss of blood supply). Repeat X-rays may be needed to check for this.

Even when a hip dislocation has been treated, other problems can develop. For instance, there may be other injuries that are subtle. Fractures of the acetabulum, femoral head, or greater trochanter (bump on the femoral bone where muscles attach) may not be recognized because the focus and attention was on the pelvic fracture and hip dislocation.

Groin pain often signals true hip pathology. The surgeon will investigate for possible recurrent hip dislocation, nerve damage, or osteonecrosis. It could be nothing more serious than a tight muscle that needs stretching or a slight imbalance in pelvic alignment.

But first things first and that’s to get a diagnosis. Early intervention will always yield the best results. Make an appointment today for follow-up as soon as possible.