Traumatic fistula from the posterior urethra to the hip joint: Case report and review of the literature

Urethral injuries are seen in association with fractures of the pelvic bones secondary to blunt abdominal trauma. A fistulous communication between the posterior urethra and the hip joint is a rare finding. A potentially serious complication of this fistulous communication is the development of a septic hip joint. Four such cases have been reported, and each developed septic arthritis of the hip. We report an additional case of a fistulous communication between the urethra and the hip joint secondary to blunt abdominal trauma. This patient was interesting in that the injury was recognized early, was treated successfully with antibiotics, and had no long- term sequelae. Therefore, early radiologic exclusion of urethral injury via a retrograde urethrogram and aggressive management through proper bladder drainage and antibiotic treatment are emphasized to prevent long-term complications.