Causes

High-energy traumas and falls are the most frequent cause of a fracture to the femoral head:

Motor vehicle accidents (dashboard trauma: posterior hip dislocation and femoral head fracture)

Sport injuries

Falls from height

Industrial accidents  

A pathologic fracture to the femoral head is rare and mostly observed in postmenopausal women due to bone weakening by osteoporosis and comorbidities such as diabetes, obesity or conditions requiring cortisone therapy. Bone degeneration of the femoral head over time causes its collapse. Pathologic fractures do not require a traumatic impact or a fall to occur.