Hip Fractures - Diagnosis and Treatment

The hip joints are the most important joints in the human body. They assist in performing various body movements along with sports activities. The hip joint is formed by the femur and pelvic bone, and when a fracture occurs, it is generally seen at the upper part of the femur or thighbone.

Hip fractures are commonly seen in the elderly, and their common cause is reported to be a fall.

The hip joint is a ball and socket joint where the head of the femur (ball) fits in the curved part of the pelvic bone (socket) also known as acetabulum. This configuration of the hip joint helps it move and rotate easily in different directions.

Any injury to the hip joint could be serious in any stage of life, and in maximum cases, it requires surgery. During surgery, either partial or complete joint replacement will be done depending upon the location and severity of the fracture. To get an international standard quality range of hip prostheses, find experienced orthopaedic device companies.

In this post, we will talk about hip fractures in detail along with their causes, diagnosis, and treatment.

Hip Fractures – A Brief Introduction

The hip joint is known to be the largest weight-bearing joint in our body, and hence, it is prone to get injured as well, but the injury does not occur without any reason. Hip fractures occur when a high-impact force is applied to the joint, and that could be due to an automobile accident, sports injuries, or a fall. Osteoporosis also contributes to hip fractures, and in such cases, no significant reason is noticed.

Now, there could be multiple locations of the break in the case of hip fractures, and that totally depends upon the cause. Some of the common types of hip fractures include:

• Femoral Neck Fractures

• Intertrochanteric Hip Fracture

• Intracapsular Fracture

Depending upon the fracture type, treatments will also vary.

Causes and Risk Factors of Hip Fractures

The high-energy car crashes are the commonest cause of hip fractures in adults, and besides this, falling on a hard surface from a height can also break your hip. If someone has weak bones, a simple twisting may also result in hip fractures. Some of the risk factors of the condition include:

Age – Bone deterioration is common with age, and most people attain peak bone density by the age of 30. After that, the rate of breakdown of old bone becomes higher than the formation of new bone. Thus, age-related weakening of bones is the first risk factor for hip fractures.

Osteoporosis – Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by low bone density and porous bones. People suffering from this condition are high at risk for hip fracture.

Gender – Though it might be strange, yet the fact is that women are more likely to get their hip fractured than men.

Chronic medical conditions – Chronic health issues that affect the body’s ability to utilize vitamin D also make the person prone to getting fractures, and the hip is one of the common locations that get affected.

Poor diet – Diet always plays an important role in deciding the health of the bone. Those who lack calcium and vitamin D in their diet are always at the risk of getting fractured, and any of the bones could get affected.

Diagnosis of Hip Fractures

Hip fractures are diagnosed based on the abnormal position and movement of the hip & leg. X-rays provide conclusive reports in most cases, and the doctor can easily identify the location & severity of the fracture.

In some cases, where x-rays fail to provide any conclusive result, MRI or bone scan will be ordered to identify the right cause of symptoms.

Treatment of Hip Fractures

Surgery is often performed to treat hip fractures, and the type of surgery required will depend upon the location, cause, and severity of the condition. Several other factors also play an important role in deciding the right type of treatment, and they include age, underlying health conditions, and long-term medicines, if any, taken by the patient. Based on the diagnosis and assessment, three types of treatment procedures are there:

• Internal fixation using screws and metal plates

• Total hip replacement

• Partial hip replacement

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