Surgery for Hip Fractures
Every year there are over 300,000 people who suffer hip fractures or broken hips in the United States alone. Age, bone density and other medical conditions can all contribute to the likelihood of a broken hip. However, in most cases a fracture occurs because of a trauma such as a fall.
Surgical Procedure:
The type of surgery used to treat a hip fracture is based on the bone and soft tissue that is affected as well as the level of the fracture.
Most times when the bones are broken, they need to have metal hardware inserted to hold them in place. Open reduction means that, in the operating room, the skin is cut open and pins, plates or rods are inserted into the bone to hold it in place until healing occurs. Depending on the fracture, some of these pieces of metal are permanent (never removed), and some are temporary until the healing of the bone is complete and surgically removed at a later time. For some hip fracture patients, a partial or complete hip replacement will be the best choice and allow quicker mobilization.
Recovery:
Exercise and physical activity play a key role in helping with both recovery from a hip fracture and prevention of those fractures. Physical therapy is also an important part of the process in helping to speed up recovery. Because mobility is limited following surgery for hip fractures, the use of a rolling walker is often recommended, especially for elderly patients. This will help them get the exercise needed to speed up healing and help to prevent another fall from aggravating the injury further. Full use of the hip will take some time, but in patients that were healthy prior to the surgery, a full recovery is possible and likely.
Who is a candidate?
Surgery on a hip fracture is very much dependent on which bone is broken and where it is broken. Your orthopaedic surgeon will explain your options for treatment, but almost all hip fractures require surgery.
