Hip fracture
Hip fractures are cracks or breaks in the top of the thigh bone (femur) close to the hip joint. They're usually caused by a fall oran injury to the side of the hip, but may occasionally be caused by a condition, such as cancer, weakening the hip bone.
Falls are very common in older people, who may have reduced vision or mobility and balanceproblems.
Hip fractures are alsomore common in women,who are more susceptible to osteoporosis (weak and fragile bones).
This topic covers:
Symptoms
When to seek medical help
Hospital assessment
Treatment
Recovery
Complications
Prevention
Symptoms of a hip fracture after a fallmayinclude:
A hip fracture won't necessarily cause bruising or prevent you from standing orwalking.
If you think you've fractured your hip, you'll need to go to hospital as soon as possible. Dial 999 for an ambulance.
Try not to move while you're waiting for the ambulance and make sure you keep warm.
If you've fallen, you may feel shaken or shocked, but try not to panic. Try to get someone's attention by:
The doctor carrying out the assessment may:
Depending on the outcome of your assessment, you may be given:
The healthcare professionals treating you will make sure you're warm and comfortable. After a while, you may be moved from the emergency department to a ward, such as an orthopaedic ward.
To confirm whether your hip has been fractured, you may require imaging tests such as:
Surgery is usually the only treatment option for hip fractures.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that someone with a hip fracture should have surgery within 48 hours of admission to hospital.
However, surgery may sometimes be delayed if the person is unwell with another condition and treatment would significantly improve the outcome of the operation.
In about half of all cases, a partial or complete hip replacement is needed. Theother casesrequire surgery to fix the fracture with plates and screws or rods.
The type of surgery you need depends on a number of factors, including:
Read moreabout treating a hip fracture .
The aim after surgery is to speed up recovery to help regainyour mobility.
The day after surgery, you should have a physiotherapy assessment and be given a rehabilitation programme that includes realistic goals for you to achieve during your recovery. The aim is to help you regain your mobility and independence so you can return home as soon as possible.
It may be possible to be discharged in three to five days.
Evidence suggeststhatprompt surgery and a tailored rehabilitation programme that starts as soon as possible after surgery can significantly improve a person's life, reduce the length of their hospital stay and help them recover their mobility faster.
The pads absorb the shock of a fall and the plastic shields divert the impact away from vulnerable areas of the hip.
In the past, one of the biggest issues with hip protectors was that many people found them uncomfortable and stopped wearing them. Modern hip protectors have tried to address this by having a more comfortable fit and additional features, such as ventilation to reduce sweating.
NICE suggests that hip protectors may be useful for older people in care homes who are considered to be at high risk of a fall. They're thought to be less effective for elderly people who remain active and live in their own home.
Read the fullNICE guideline on falls: assessment and prevention of falls in older people .
The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a 10-year Fracture Risk Assessment Tool to help predict a person's risk of fracture in the age range 40-90 years.
The tool is based on bone mineral density (BMD) and other relevant risk factors such as age and sex.
Read about hip fractures, also called proximal femoral fractures. Hip fractures are cracks or breaks in the top of the thigh bone (femur) close to the hip joint.
Read about treating hip fractures. Hip fractures are usually treated in hospital with surgery. Surgery can either fix or replace the hip joint.
Read about recovering from a hip fracture. After a hip fracture, you'll be given a rehabilitation programme designed to help you recover from your injury and surgery