How Much Damage Can A Bullet To The Hip Do?

JFitchett92 · Jun 29, 2013

Hey all,

This is my first time posting in this section of the forums so I may be barking up the wrong tree.

At the end of my WIP, my MC gets hit in crossfire and takes a bullet to her hip. She survives, but I'm wondering exactly how much damage could this do?

As my story doesn't have a very happy ending, I'm wondering what permanent damage may come of such a wound. As it's in the hip I assume it would create problems with having children, but what else would be affected?

Thank you!

Oreo1909 · Jun 29, 2013

Little lasting damage, apparently.

PATIENTS:*From 1999 to 2008, there were 2808 cases of gunshot wounds that reported to our hospital. Twelve hundred thirty-five patients had an associated fracture that included 42 patients with fractures of the hip and pelvis. The average age of patients was 30.3 years (range, 19-54 years) and 40 of the 42 were male. Eighteen patients (43%) underwent emergency laparotomy for suspected visceral and vascular injuries of which seven patients had a negative laporotomy. There were 18 ilium fractures, 10 hip fractures, nine acetabular fractures, seven pubic rami fractures, six sacral fractures, three sacroiliac joint injuries, and two ischial tuberosity fractures.

INTERVENTION:*Seven patients required orthopaedic surgical intervention, undergoing a total of 10 operative procedures.RESULTS:*All fractures healed and there was no incidence of pelvic ring instability requiring surgical stabilization or chronic osteomyelitis. Nonorthopaedic injuries included 15 small/large bowel perforations (36%), seven vessel lacerations (17%), and two urogenital injuries (5%) that required surgery. Associated injuries included four patients with nerve damage that recovered partially.

CONCLUSIONS:*Pelvic fractures from civilian gunshot wounds often require emergent surgery for vascular, visceral, and urogenital injuries. Orthopaedic intervention is indicated for intra-articular pathology such as removal of projectiles or bone fragments and reconstruction of the hip and rarely the acetabulum. Pelvic instability and complications of orthopaedic injuries are uncommon. These injuries require a multidisciplinary approach in their management.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/20871253/

This can vary though, depending on lower GI or UTI infiltration.

Good luck!

Bufty · Jun 29, 2013

What kind of gun?

Is it a .22 pistol? .45 Magnum? Rifle? Machine gun?

Range? Ricochet?

What's she wearing? How old is she? How fit is she?

Make the injury fit the result you want. The more detail you get into, the more you open up a can of worms.

benbenberi · Jun 29, 2013

As much or as little damage as your story requires - you control all the variables.

JFitchett92 · Jun 29, 2013

If it helps, my MC is sixteen and she is shot with a rifle at a range of about thirty feet.

I didn't want to throw in a permanent injury that couldn't realistically happen so I thought I'd just ask first. Thank you for the info on the gunshot victims Oreo1909, was very helpful.

Bufty · Jun 29, 2013

If that's a serious hunting rifle or military weapon that's one nasty injury she's heading for.

I suggest, as mentioned before, that you make her injury suit whatever has to happen to her as a result of being 'caught in crossfire', and don't get sidetracked into detail as to precisely what damage was done by what exact bullet from what exact weapon.

Good luck.

WeaselFire · Jul 1, 2013

Realistic? Shattered hip or pelvis. Depending on angle it's doubtful she'd be left sterile, but it's possible. Modern US with decent medical treatment and she could be fine. Maybe a limp or a cane. Depends a lot on what you need to have her suffer from or through to make your story work.

By the way, a shot to the hip is an appropriate way to stop a Zombie. Withe the shattered hip or pelvis they couldn't walk, and dragging speed is far slower than the prey that's running away.

Jeff

Chekurtab · Jul 1, 2013

1. Hip and pelvic areas are not the same thing.

2. If you wish your MC a speedy recovery, I suggest a flesh wound. To fit the bill I wound nominate a mid-thigh wound with no bone, vascular or nerve injury.

Hope it helps.

Nivarion · Jul 1, 2013

Gunshot wounds are nasty things. Especially with most rifles at 30 feet. Depending on the caliber, powder and bullet and where it hits it could range from a minor injury that she recovers from in a few weeks (.22 short rifle across the thigh) with no serious effect, to destroying her leg permanently (30-06 hollow point through the femur head) to death death in a minute (30-06 frangible through the stomach.

the 30-06 could cause the full range of injuries within 6 injuries of each other with any load. So basically, whatever you want could be tailored to fit the story.

Docaggie · Jul 1, 2013

A lot depends on what's hit and the kind of round used. Muscle, fat - these heal relatively quickly and with few long term sequellae. A smaller round (.22) to the flesh would be a fast recovery.

A larger rifle round - say the typical .223 used in ARs - would do more damage. Things that will cause lasting problems: breaking bones, especially if it is near the femoral head or the acetabulum of the pelvis, thus requiring an artificial hip to be inserted; major neuro or vascular damage, which would result from hitting the femoral artery or nerve, for example. These lay in a bundle around the front of the leg, closer to the groin than the hip.

Things you can do in your writing with a gunshot to the hip. Of course, you can make it a superficial, easy to recover from wound. The need for an artificial joint would necessitate a lengthy rehab process. Arterial wounds would mean a medium recovery after a significant blood loss. Damage to a nerve could result in numbness and loss of function of the limb, or the development of a chronic pain syndrome (CRPS) that could be quite debilitating.

In order to damage internal organs, you'd be talking more about a pelvic wound. Things that reside in there include the uterus and ovaries, the colon, the bladder, and a few very large blood vessels. At the back of the pelvis is the sacrum, where any number of nerve roots emerge.

So, in short, it's up to you how bad you want it to be.

blacbird · Jul 1, 2013

How much wood can a woodchuck chuck?

caw

WeaselFire · Jul 2, 2013

Chekurtab said:
1. Hip and pelvic areas are not the same thing.

Might want to look at an anatomy chart.

The hip joint is between pelvis and femur. The ball is on the femur, the socket on the pelvis.

But the point is for the OP to pick the results of the damage needed for her story, then work back to the wound and injury.

Jeff

How Much Damage Can A Bullet To The Hip Do?

JFitchett92

Oreo1909

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

benbenberi

practical experience, FTW

JFitchett92

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

WeaselFire

Benefactor Member

Chekurtab

Smart donkey. Please don't call me-

Nivarion

Brony level >9000

Docaggie

blacbird

WeaselFire

Benefactor Member