Surgery is the most common way for treating a broken hip.
WYOMISSING, Pa.: While any joint can be dislocated and fractured, the ones that have higher mobility are at a greater risk of dislocation and fractures. Out of all the joints in the human body, the ball and socket joints (a sub-category of synovial joints) have the highest risk of dislocation. Since they can move in multiple directions, they can be dislocated in many ways. The hip joint belongs to this category. Dr. Leonard J. Marchinski is explains this subject in a new article. The complete article will be available on Dr. Marchinski's blog at https://leonardmarchinskimd.wordpress.com/
While the hip joint is prone to many different types of injuries, dislocation and fracture are two of the most common ones that usually happen due to accidents.
A hip fracture, also called a broken hip, generally refers to a break in the top quarter of the femur, commonly known as thighbone. However, in some cases, the socket can also get fractured.
Hip fracture is more common in older people due to the weakening of bones, especially among women suffering from osteoporosis. But, it can also happen with younger people as a result of falls and accidents. Excessive smoking and drinking, family history of osteoporosis, calcium and/or vitamin D deficiency, malnourishment, and being underweight are some major factors that can increase the risk of a hip fracture. According to one estimate, around 300,000 people end up with a broken hip, every year, in the United States.
Depending on their location, hip fractures can be divided into various types:
1. Femoral Neck Fracture
It is a fracture in the thighbone at about 1 to 2 inches away from the hip joint. This type of fracture is more common in older people and can lead to complications by cutting off the blood supply to the ball i.e. the head of the thighbone.
2. Intertrochanteric Hip Fracture
This type of fracture also occurs in the thighbone, but around 3 to 4 inches away from the hip joint. It is less severe and hence, easier to repair as compared to the femoral neck fracture because it does not cut off the blood supply to the thighbone.
3. Stress Fracture
A less common type of hip fracture, this is a basically a hairline crack in the femur. Stress fracture can be caused by the overuse of the hip joint – sportspersons, runners in particular, can suffer from this type of hip fracture.
4. Intracapsular Fracture
The least occurring type of hip fracture affects both the ball and socket areas of the hip joint and may also lead to the tearing of blood vessels that supply blood to the head of the thighbone.
Depending on the type of fracture, age, and overall health of the patient, a doctor may opt for the most appropriate of the following hip fracture treatment procedures:
1. Surgery
Surgery is the most commonly used method for treating a broken hip. Depending on the type and severity of the fracture, and after the patients medical conditions are optimized pre-operatively, the doctor will opt for a repair or replacement surgery.
* Hip Pinning
The hip fracture surgery that is performed to repair a fractured hip is called ORIF aka "hip pinning". As evident from the name, it involves using pins, screws, and metal plates or rods to hold the broken bones together. This is done to ensure that the broken pieces of the bone stay in the right place during the healing and rehabilitation process. Hip pinning is also called open reduction internal fixation (ORIF). While hip pinning is generally a safe procedure, possible complications in some cases, can occur such as:
* Infection
* Bleeding or blood clots
* Incomplete or improper healing of the femur
* Injury to other nerves
* Change in leg length that can cause a limp
* Arthritis
How a person's body reacts to the surgery and how fast (or slowly) it heals, depends on a variety of factors – age, genetics, medical history of the family and the patient, and the overall health condition.
* Hemiarthroplasty
A partial hip replacement surgery, hemiarthroplasty involves the replacement of the femoral head or the ball of the hip joint with an artificial head, called prosthesis.
* Complete Hip Replacement
This type of hip fracture surgery is only opted in severe cases where the hip joint is completely broken or in cases where the patient is suffering from a joint disease, like arthritis, which can affect the healing process.
2. Medication
Most of the patients are given painkiller medications before and after the surgery. In case of infection, the doctor may also prescribe antibiotics.
3. Physical Therapy
In addition to medicines, patients are generally recommended to go for physical therapy after the surgery to make the repaired or replaced joint fully functional.
Hip fractures are painful but they can be surgically treated successfully in most cases. However, it can get worse and cause many complications, if not treated appropriately in an urgent and timely manner.
Dr. Leonard J Marchinski is a medical doctor in Pennsylvania, focusing on orthopedic surgery. In addition to General Orthopedics, Dr. Marchinski provides medical and surgical treatments such as Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release and treatment of similar Nerve Compression Syndromes.
