Chapter 8, Problem 8CCS

45-Year-Old Female with Dislocated Hip

In the previous chapter, you met Kayla Tanner, a 45-year-old mother of four who suffered a dislocated right hip in a car accident. Prior to the closed reduction, the doctors noted that her right thigh was flexed at the hip, adducted, and medially rotated. A widened joint space in the postreductionX ray showed that the reduction was not complete, but no bone fragments were visible in the joint space. Mrs. Tanner was scheduled for immediate surgery.

The surgeons discovered that the acetabular labrum had detached from the rim of the acetabulum and was lying deep within the joint space. The detached portion of the labrum was excised, and the hip was surgically reduced. During the early healing phase (first two weeks), Mrs. Tanner was kept in traction with the thigh abducted.

8. + NCLEX-STYLE As Mrs. Tanner recovers, she will do exercises to strengthen her muscles and regain her range of motion. To reduce the risk of dislocating the hip during these exercises, the nurse will make sure she does not do which of the following?

a. Plantar flex the foot

b. Flex the leg at the knee

c. Adduct her thigh until the knee moves past the midline

d. Tighten her gluteal muscles