An unusual presentation of femoral neck fracture in a young patient

Abstract

Femoral neck fractures in young patients can have unusual presentation making diagnosis and subsequent management more difficult. Early detection is essential to avoid complications; however, it is only achievable with a high index of suspicion. We present an unusual case of a 39-year-old office worker who presented with a 5-month history of spontaneous onset of hip pain. She had multiple clinic visits prior to the diagnosis of neck of femur fracture. Fracture displacement and delayed diagnosis had resulted in a non-union by the time of presentation. She was subsequently managed with a fixation using a dynamic hip screw along with subtrochanteric osteotomy. No underlying cause for the initial fracture was identified despite thorough investigation. Learning points for early detection and operative management are discussed.