A hip fracture is a serious injury that happens when the thighbone receives a crack or break. Common causes are falls to the side where the hips are the victim of a direct impact, though disease can also trigger this such as cancer. Generally, this kind of injury can cause life threatening complications and surgery is required to be repaired.
Furthermore, the chances of receiving a hip fracture increases as you age and when you develop osteoporosis as this disease weakens the bones.
Risk factors
- Underweight
- Smoking
- Lack of exercise
- Deficiency in calcium or vitamin D
Difficulty or incapability to put weight on the injured area of your hip. - Osteoporosis as a known family disease
- Having too much intake of alcohol
- Your age
Signs and symptoms of a hip fracture
- At first, inability to move after a fall
- Intense pain in the groin or hip region
- Difficulty or incapability to put weight on the injured area of your hip
- The hip area has swelling, bruising, or stiffness
- In addition, one of legs are turning more outwards on the injured side
- Lastly, one of your legs is shorter, specifically the injured side
Your doctor will perform physical exams and an x-ray on you if it’s suspected that you have a hip fracture. The doctor also requests an MRI or bone scan if the x-ray image is unclear or it cannot determine whether there is a hip fracture or not.
There are various ways to prevent a hip fracture. It is based on your lifestyle and it’s better if you start earlier to lower the chances. Common practices to maintain healthy and sturdy bones involve:
- Increased intake of calcium and vitamin D
- Daily exercise
- Avoid drinking and/or smoking
- Observing the medication that you take
More Information
The details posted on this page on a hip fracture is for learning purposes only. To learn to recognize the sign and how it is treated, enroll in a first aid course with one of our training providers.
FACT CHECK
https://www.orthobullets.com/trauma/1011/clavicle-shaft-fractures
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavicle_fracture
https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/clavicle-fracture-broken-collarbone/