Hip fracture or hip fracture is a condition when the bones in the hip joint crack or break. This condition often occurs due to a hard impact in the hip area.
The hip is the joint that connects the femur to the hip bone. These joints play an important role in controlling the movement of the human body, such as walking, sitting, or simply turning the body.
When the hip bone is fractured or broken, the function of the leg will be disrupted and can hinder daily activities.
Actually, what is meant by a hip fracture is a fracture of the upper femur. This condition is an emergency that requires immediate medical attention.
Causes of Hip Fractures
Hip fractures can happen to anyone. This condition often occurs due to a hard blow to the hip area due to a fall, accident, or injury during sports.
In addition to severe injuries, hip fractures due to minor injuries or spontaneous hip fractures can also occur. A person will be more at risk of experiencing a hip fracture, even if there is no serious injury, if they have the following factors:
1. Elderly
Hip fractures are prone to be experienced by the elderly aged 65 years and over. The elderly will experience a decrease in bone density and strength, making them prone to fractures.
In addition, the elderly also experience visual impairment and balance problems, making them vulnerable to falls and injuries that can cause hip fractures.
2. Suffering from certain diseases
Osteoporosis, cancer, and hyperthyroidism are examples of diseases that cause bone density to decrease, making bones more prone to fracture. In addition, neurological diseases, such as dementia or Parkinson's disease, can also make a person more prone to falls and fractures the hip.
3. Woman
Decreased levels of the hormone estrogen in the body when entering menopause make women lose bone density more quickly. This condition causes women to be more prone to hip fractures than men.
4. Obesity
People who are obese are also prone to hip fractures due to pressure from body weight in the hip area.
5. Drug side effects
Some medications, such as corticosteroids, can cause bones to weaken if used for a long time. In addition, sedative drugs, such as benzodiazepines, can cause dizziness. This will increase the risk of falling even higher.
6. Nutritional disorders
Lack of calcium and vitamin D intake in the body can increase the risk of hip fracture. This is because the body needs these two nutrients for bone formation.
7. Rarely exercise
Regular exercise can help increase muscle and bone strength, reducing the risk of injury. Conversely, people who rarely exercise are more at risk of hip fracture.
8. Cigarettes and alcoholic beverages
Cigarettes and alcoholic beverages can inhibit the process of bone formation and regeneration, causing bones to become brittle and break easily.
Symptoms of a Hip Fracture
Most of the symptoms of a hip fracture appear after a fall, but it can also occur spontaneously. Symptoms that indicate a hip fracture are:
- Unbearable pain in the hip or groin.
- Unable to stand or rest on the leg at the injured hip.
- Inability to lift, move, or rotate the leg.
- Bruising and swelling in the area around the hips.
- The leg on the injured hip becomes shorter or bends outward.
When hcurrent to dokter
Immediately contact a doctor or medical officer if you fall and feel the symptoms mentioned above. Try not to move much and make sure your body is warm, so that the condition of the injury to the bone does not get worse.
If you suffer from a disease that is at risk of causing hip fracture, check regularly with your doctor for treatment.
If you are taking drugs that increase the risk of hip fracture in the long term, discuss the benefits and risks. Ask the doctor, is there any effort that needs to be done to prevent fractures.
Hip Fracture Diagnosis
Doctors can diagnose a hip fracture by the signs and symptoms that appear, such as bruising and swelling around the groin, as well as an abnormal position or shape of the hip.
To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor will perform an X-ray examination to get an idea of the condition and location of the broken bone.
If the X-ray is not able to show the location of the fracture, the doctor will order other imaging tests, such as an MRI and CT scan. Both of these examinations aim to examine the condition of the hip bone and surrounding tissue in more detail.
Hip Fracture Treatment
Most cases of hip fracture are treated with surgery and done as soon as possible. The surgical method was determined based on the type of fracture that occurred, the patient's ability to move, the condition of the bones and joints, and the patient's age.
There are several methods of operation that can be performed, namely:
Pen mount (internal fixation)
In this procedure, an orthopedic doctor or an orthopedic doctor who specializes in hip and knee will install special tools to correct the structure of the bones and glue the broken bones back to their original position. This operation is performed if the part of the broken hip bone does not move too far.
Partial hip replacement
This procedure is performed to remove a broken or damaged hip bone and replace it with an artificial bone. This type of surgery is only performed if the fracture is irregular.
Full hip replacement (ttotal hip replacement)
In hip replacement surgery, the doctor will place a joint socket and an artificial femur to replace the damaged or broken part. Procedure total hip replacement performed to treat hip fractures in patients who also have arthritis or have decreased joint function due to a previous injury.
Hip Fracture Recovery
During the recovery period, patients will undergo physiotherapy to restore bone function and strength, improve mobility, and speed up the healing period. The type of physiotherapy given depends on the type of surgery performed previously, as well as the patient's health condition and mobility.
Medical rehabilitation doctors will also help sufferers to learn how to carry out daily activities, such as bathing and dressing, with limited movement conditions. Patients may be advised to use a wheelchair or cane for a while.
In addition to surgery and rehabilitation procedures, the doctor will also provide medication to relieve pain and reduce the risk of hip fracture in the future. In people with osteoporosis, doctors will prescribe bisphosphonate drugs to strengthen bones and reduce the risk of hip fractures.
Complications of Hip Fracture
Hip fracture is a serious injury, especially for the elderly. If not treated quickly, this condition has the potential to cause impaired blood flow around the thigh. Injury to the hip bone can also cause the pelvis to become narrow.
If blood flow is interrupted, the tissue in the thigh and hip area will die and rot, and cause prolonged pain. This condition is known as avascular necrosis.
Hip fractures can also make a person unable to move. If movement is obstructed for a long time, a person will be at risk of developing blood clots (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism), urinary tract infections, and pneumonia.
Hip Fracture Prevention
The main prevention of hip fractures is to always be careful not to fall, and to increase bone strength early on. This step can be done by:
- Maintain intake of calcium and vitamin D. Calcium can be obtained from milk, cheese, and yogurt. While vitamin D can be obtained by consuming salmon, beef liver, cod liver oil, and shrimp.
- Doing exercise regularly every day, to increase muscle and bone strength, thereby reducing the risk of falling.
- Limiting alcohol consumption, to reduce the risk of falling.
- Quit smoking, because tobacco can reduce bone density.
- Keep your home safe from objects that can cause you to fall or slip, such as carpets or electrical wires.
- Consult a doctor about the types of drugs that are safe to take, to prevent drowsiness and dizziness, and reduce the risk of falling.
- Get regular eye exams, especially if you have diabetes or eye disease.
For those of you who have entered the elderly age (over 65 years), visual impairment or difficulty walking can make you more prone to falls. Use a cane when walking or wear a hip protector to minimize the impact of a fall.