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Hip Fracture Treatments

Hip fractures are injuries to be taken seriously. Proper treatment is critical, especially at a more advanced age. An untreated hip fracture can put a person's life at risk because infection can develop. With proper hip fracture treatments, the prognosis is greatly improved.

  1. Hip Fractures Defined

    • Hip fractures are breaks in the femur near the hip joint. The femur is the thigh bone, which is the bone that sits above the knee.

    Why Hips Fracture

    • Women are more likely to experience a hip fracture because women lose bone mass faster than men do. Beyond the age of 65 is when most people will fracture a hip. Bones weaker as one ages because of the gradual decline of minerals, such as calcium.

    Hip Fracture Treatment Methods

    • The most common hip fracture treatment is surgery. If a person is in very poor health, traction is an option. Another option for hip fracture treatments is medication.

    Hip Fracture Surgery

    • If the femur bone is fractured but still correctly aligned, a surgeon will use metal screws to help mend the fracture. These metal screws are placed inside the bone. This is done to hold the bone in place so the hip fracture can repair itself. This type of hip fracture treatment is called an internal fixation, and it is done on a femoral neck fracture, where the upper portion of the thigh bone, under the ball-and-socket joint, experiences a break.
      In an intertrochanteric region hip fracture (between the femoral head and the trochanter, or bony bump slightly below the femoral head), a metal hip compression screw is placed across the break. The metal screw is connected to a plate. This plate runs down next to the femur bone. Other metal screws are also inserted in an effort to help stabilize the femur. The edges of the bone fragments grow together as the thigh bone recovers and heals, which occurs because the metal screws help to press together the bone fragments.
      Another way to repair a femoral neck fracture is to replace a portion of the thigh bone. This is done when the broken bone fragments are damaged or the femur is not properly aligned. In this case, a hemiarthroplasty is performed. The femur head and neck are taken out and a metal prosthesis is used as a replacement.

    Total Hip Replacement

    • The most intensive hip fracture treatment is a hip replacement. Hip replacements are done when the hip function might have been affected before the hip fracture. Damage to the hip joint from a previous injury or arthritis in the hip can cause such impaired hip function. In a total hip replacement, the surgeon will use a prosthesis to replace the upper part of the thigh bone and the hip socket.

    Medication

    • Other hip fracture treatments include medication. A yearly dose of zoledronic acid, given intravenously, can assist in hip fracture treatments. Zoledronic acid is used in the drugs Zometa and Reclast. The prognosis for recovery looks good and the risk of new fractures is decreased, according to a New England Journal of Medicine Study performed in 2007.

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