Hip fracture commonly occurs in elderly patients with osteoporotic bones when they suffer a fall or direct impact to the side of the hip. While some elderly people have other possible health issues that make them more likely to trip and fall. It is a serious and possibly life-threatening injury that requires immediate medical attention. As a result, most hip fractures require surgery other than for those who are too ill to undergo any form of anaesthesia or are bedridden. The type of surgery used depends on the location and severity of your hip fracture, as well as your health condition:
- Hip pinning or fixation of the hip bones is used for bones that can be aligned properly.
- Hip replacement surgery is used for bones that cannot be realigned due to severe injury or conditions like arthritis.
And early surgery has been proven to have lower risk of complications. Possible complications arising from hip fracture surgery include bleeding, wound infection, dislocation if a prosthetic joint is required, injury to nerves and blood clots in the deep veins of the legs which can travel to the lungs (pulmonary embolism). If the fracture does not heal, sometimes further surgery may be required. Patients are encouraged to walk soon after surgery, with the assistance of walking aids. Prevention of further fractures is also important, and treatment of underlying osteoporosis is initiated after surgery.