Traumatic avulsion of the trochanter minor in a 15-year-old boy: an uncommon injury.

Abstract

A 15-year-old boy was seen at the emergency department with severe groin pain following an acute soccer injury. The pain irradiated towards the knee region. He was unable to move his right leg, and unable to stand on it. Physical examination revealed an extremely tender groin. Hip function was difficult to assess due to the severe pain. Hip and pelvis radiographs demonstrated a 1.3 cm large bone fragment detached and displaced superiorly relative to the trochanter minor (Fig. A). MR images revealed the retracted bone fragment (arrow) with the iliopsoas tendon (arrowheads) attached to it (Fig. B, C ). The tendon, bone fragment and trochanter minor were surrounded by a hyperintense fluid collection. Ultrasound also revealed the bone fragment with the attached tendon, although the relationship to the deeper trochanter minor was difficult to appreciate on ultrasound ). Recovery was uneventful. The patient was seen back after 9 weeks and clinical symptoms had complete subsided with entirely normal hip testing.