ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Hip Fracture

What is hip fracture?

4 May 2021

It is a serious injury that causes complications and in extreme cases, even death. This type of fracture usually requires plate and screw repair or partial or total hip replacement to regain mobility and independence. Hip fractures usually occur for one of the following reasons:

  • Falls due to visual problems, and loss of coordination or balance.
  • Age, since over the years bone density and muscle mass decrease, leading to the possibility of a fracture in the event of a fall.
  • Lack of physical activity.
  • Calcium and vitamin D deficiency.
  • Intake of certain medications such as cortisone or prednisone that can weaken bones and other drugs cause dizziness and drowsiness, increasing the risk of a possible fall and fracture.
  • Women are more prone to hip fractures because estrogen levels decrease at menopause, accelerating bone loss.
  • Low blood glucose levels.
  • Low blood pressure.
  • Osteoporosis.
  • Overactive thyroid, intestinal or endocrine conditions that can reduce the absorption of calcium and vitamin D, weakening the bones.
  • Nervous system disorders, such as strokes, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease, among others, can increase the risk of falls.

Hip fractures usually occur in one of the two parts of the femur that extends from the pelvis to the knee.

Signs and symptoms Hip Fracture

The characteristic symptoms consist of:

  • Severe pain in the hip or groin.
  • Injured leg that adopts an abnormal position, turning outwards.
  • Inability to get up or walk.
  • Lack of ability to bear weight on the affected leg.
  • Bruising and swelling in and around the hip.
  • Shortening of the limb on the side of the injury.

Potential risks:

A hip fracture that immobilizes you for a long time can lead to certain complications, such as:

  • Thrombi in the legs or lungs.
  • Pressure ulcers.
  • Urinary tract infection.
  • Pneumonia.
  • Lack of muscle mass.
  • Death.

Diagnosis and treatment Hip Fracture

Once your doctor analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, they will perform a physical examination to assess the position of the hip and leg, but will also order X-rays, computed tomography, MRI, or bone scan.

Every hip fracture requires a surgery that will depend on the severity, age, and pre-existing diseases, the most common being: 

  • Fix with plate and screws.
  • Partial hip replacement.
  • Total hip replacement.

After surgery, you will require physical therapy sessions to perform range-of-motion and strengthening exercises, as well as the support of an occupational therapist to teach you techniques to carry out your daily routines until you regain movement, strength, and can be independent again.

At the Orthopedics and Traumatology Center, we seek to improve the lives of patients restricted or immobilized by musculoskeletal disorders or injuries. We specialize in the care of the locomotor system by integrating the latest medical, biological, and technological advances, in strict adherence to the highest international standards of patient care.

Related centers and departments Hip Fracture

Orthopedics and Traumatology Center
High Specialty Surgery Center
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

  • mba.eu
  • mgyf.org
  • medlineplus.gov
  • mayoclinic.org
  • msdmanuals.com
  • medigraphic.com
  • Aboytes-Menchaca C, Ledesma-González M, Casas-Villa J. Utilidad de la fuerza prensil como predictor de abatimiento funcional en pacientes mayores de 60 años con fractura de cadera. Acta Ortop Mex. 2021;35(4):348-353. doi:10.35366/103315.
  • Bahr US, Ponce de León NR, Guisado ZK, et al. Anatomía articular y parámetros radiográficos de la cadera como factor de riesgo de fractura: una mirada actualizada. Revista Cubana de Ortopedia y Traumatología. 2020;34(2):1-29.
  • Viveros-García JC, Rodríguez-Sánchez B, Baldenebro-Lugo LS, et al. Costos por la demora quirúrgica en la fractura de cadera por fragilidad. Ortho-tips. 2021;17(4):195-201. doi:10.35366/102216.
  • Dueñas VS, Licea MY, Blanco BN, et al. Síndrome post-caída en adultos mayores operados de fractura de caderas. Acta Med Cent. 2020;14(3):330-339.

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