Learn about the symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment of hip fractures.
A hip fracture is a fracture around the hip joint. It occurs mainly in people aged 70 and older with severe osteoporosis. The most common cause is a fall, so extra care is needed, especially in winter.
01
Moving the hip causes severe pain.
02
Hip pain makes it impossible to stand and bear weight.
03
One leg looks shorter or turned outward.
Falls
A person with osteoporosis standing up from a sitting position
A person with osteoporosis falling onto the buttocks
Fractures from other injuries
A hip fracture is suspected based on the patient's description of the injury, symptoms and physical examination. The fracture usually shows clearly on an X-ray, which helps the doctor confirm the diagnosis. Sometimes, however, the X-ray looks normal even when a fracture is present. Therefore, if the patient still has pain and cannot stand more than a day after a fall, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to look for a small fracture.
TREATMENT
When a hip fracture occurs, surgery is needed in most cases regardless of age. This is because non-surgical treatment such as the casting used for fractures elsewhere is difficult to apply to the hip, and the pain from the fracture and long periods of bed rest can be life-threatening for older patients.
Before transport to the hospital, the leg is immobilized with a splint, usually a traction splint, or with special traction equipment.
[Bracing]
If tissue damage is minimal or symptoms are mild, the area is immobilized with a cast or brace. It is best to keep the immobilized area still as much as possible and get plenty of rest.
As soon as possible, surgery is performed to set the broken pieces and fix them in place with metal rods or plates.
[Hip Replacement]
Surgery that replaces part or all of the hip joint.
