Hip Fracture
Overview
Risk Factors
This problem is more common in older adults. It is also more common in women. Things that may raise the risk are:
- Health problems, such as:
- Osteoporosis
- A prior fracture
- Heart, hormone, and kidney disorders
- Certain medicines, such as antidepressants and proton pump inhibitors
- Lack of activity
- Alcohol use disorder
- Smoking
- Poor nutrition
SymptomsandDiagnosis
Treatments
Treatment
Surgery
Surgery is needed to repair most hip fractures. The type of surgery will depend on where the hip is broken and how badly it is damaged. Options are:
- Using plates and screws to align the bones and support them while they heal
- Removing damaged areas and replacing the hip with an artificial ball-and-socket joint
Assistive devices and physical therapy will be needed during recovery.
Surgery is not a good option for people in poor overall health may. They need to let the bone heal on its own. The fracture will be monitored with imaging tests. Traction may also be used to hold the leg in place while the bone heals.
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
Edits to original content made by Denver Health.
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RESOURCES
Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians http://familydoctor.org
OrthoInfo—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons http://orthoinfo.org
CANADIAN RESOURCES
Canadian Orthopaedic Association http://www.coa-aco.org
Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation http://www.canorth.org
References
Derry S, Moore RA, Gaskell H, McIntyre M, Wiffen PJ. Topical NSAIDS for acute musculoskeletal pain in adults. Cochrane Database of Syst Rev. 2015;(6):CD007402.
Florschutz AV, Langford JR, et al. Femoral neck fractures: current management. J Orthop Trauma. 2015 Mar;29(3):121-129.
Hip fracture. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/hip-fracture . Updated August 26, 2020. Accessed July 28, 2020.
Hip fracture prevention. Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons website. Available at: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00309. Updated January 2013. Accessed July 28, 2020.