Hip Fracture

A hip fracture is where part of the upper femur, or thighbone, has been broken. Usually, an elderly person affected by osteoporosis will suffer a hip fracture, while a younger person fractures a hip from high impact, like a car accident or intense sport injury. It is important to operate on a fractured hip promptly as extended bed rest can make matters worse, possibly leading to bed sores, pneumonia, and blood clots. Elderly patients can become confused, making recuperation and physical therapy exponentially more challenging. The hip, like the shoulder, is a ball-and-socket joint. The ball is made up of the femoral head, the upper part of the thighbone, while the socket is the acetabulum, which is part of the pelvis. The femoral head rests inside the acetabulum, which allows the hip to rotate. The femoral head, femoral neck (which is just underneath the femoral head or “ball”), subtrochanteric area (beneath the lesser trochanter), and intertrochanteric area (beneath the femoral neck, comprised of the lesser and greater trochanter) can all sustain a fracture, which, in layman’s terms, is a hip fracture. Most hip fractures are a fracture to the femoral neck or intertrochanteric area with femoral head fractures typically being the consequence of a high-impact occurrence. Most hip fractures have specifically located pain, normally in the groin and upper thigh. The inability to stand, bear weight, and move your leg above the knee are tell-tale signs of a hip fracture.