Some older individuals seem to have a tendency to break bones. Falling and the broken bones resulting from falls are more common as you grow older. Although the bones of the spine and the arm may break, the most common broken bone in the elderly is the hip. Sometimes a bone may fracture without much trauma or stress, or you may fall and break your hip and assume that the fall caused the break. In some cases the break occurs spontaneously because of bone brittle-ness and leads to the fall, often without much pain.
How Is a Broken Hip Treated? If you break your hip, the chances are you will suffer pain and not be able to walk. Sometimes a hip will break in such a way that the two broken ends become impacted, and you may be able to walk on the leg without much pain. This is rare, however. Most people are unable to walk unless the hip is repaired surgically.
The dangers of surgery are not as threatening as remaining bedridden for a prolonged period. Besides the increased risk of serious illnesses such as pneumonia, phlebitis, and urinary tract infections, the health of the skin may be difficult to maintain when bedridden. Also, the psychological effect of being bedridden is extremely negative.
Most surgeons use a metal device to hold the broken hip in place. Sometimes a pin is put in to connect the ball of the hip joint with the shaft of the thigh bone. Occasionally, the surgeon may have to replace the ball of the joint with a metal one. If you have surgery for a broken hip, in most instances you should be out of bed within a few days and able to begin a physical rehabilitation program.
During the past few years I have treated a number of women, all over 90, who suffered hip fractures. Every one had hip surgery and most returned to full independence in less than three months. Age alone should not be considered a reason not to have hip surgery. Careful evaluation before and after surgery by an internist or geriatric specialist may help avoid some of the complications due to underlying medical problems or the use of medications that may follow hip surgery.
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