Fracture - Hip

How Is a Hip Fracture Treated?

Treatment is nearly always surgical. Pins can be placed across the fracture, or metal plates and screws can be used to hold bone fragments together. Other choices include replacing the ball of the joint with a metal one, and replacing both the socket and the ball. Sometimes, surgery doesn’t make the joint stable, usually because the bone that’s left is too thin.

For people who are very sick, treatment may be bed rest to try to let the fracture heal.

The best ways to prevent hip fractures are to prevent and treat osteoporosis with diet, exercise, and medicine. Also, make sure that the home environment is safe.

DOs and DON’Ts in Managing a Hip Fracture:

• DO take medicines as prescribed and follow your health care provider’s instructions.
• DO use pain medicines to help recovery.
• DO eat a good diet to provide protein and calcium. This will help the bone to heal.
• DO your exercises in the form of physical therapy. They’re important for recovery from surgery.
• DO call your health care provider if you have increasing pain in your hip after surgery. This pain could mean infection, bleeding, or loosening of the hip replacement or screws.
• DO call your health care provider if you have trouble walking. It can be a sign of loosening of the hip replacement.
• DO call your health care provider if you have symptoms of infection, such as fever or swelling or redness of the incision line. Tell your health care provider about shortness of breath and coughing, which could mean pneumonia or a blood clot to the lungs.
• DO reduce chances of falls in the home. Use good lighting and avoid tripping hazards such as loose rugs and poor fitting shoes.

• DON’T use alcohol and tobacco. They increase the risk of osteoporosis, as does lack of weight-bearing exercise.