Treatment of hip fracture

The neck of the thigh looks like a narrow part of the bone that connects the femoral part of the skeleton to the pelvic bones. On this site the maximum loads of all human movements fall. Fracture of the femoral neck takes 6% of the total number of existing fractures. And most of them( about 90%) are observed in elderly people, in most cases in women.

Treatment of hip fracture is accompanied by prolonged bed rest, as well as the risk of various complications, in 30% of cases, which result in death in the first year after the injury. In some cases, such fractures are detected late, and they are often treated as sciatica of the sciatic nerve.

Mechanism of injury: It is possible to obtain a fracture as a result of a person falling on their side. With this fall, the main effect is directed to the site of the hip joint. However, to get a fracture, one fall is not enough, for this, there are some reasons for it.

Reasons: The main cause of fractures in elderly people is osteoporosis. This disease leads to the elution of calcium salts from the human body, which ensure the strength of bones.

The occurrence of osteoporosis occurs when there is a lack of calcium intake in the body, with its large expenditure and during menopause in women. During this period, the small secretion of hormonal estrogens increases the excretion of calcium from the body.

Symptoms: Treatment of hip fracture should be performed immediately after the first signs of it appear. The first symptom is pain in the groin, which increases with movement. Sometimes the pain is not strong, and the patient can not give it much importance. Another sign is the rotation of the diseased leg outward, which can be seen when turning the foot.

The next sign is the shortening of the affected limb by a maximum of 3 cm. This occurs as a result of muscle contraction after injury. Also, the patient is not able to tear off the heel of the sick leg from the surface of the bed, which is called "a sign of the stitched heel".

Diagnostics: This fracture is diagnosed quite simply. The first conclusion is given on the basis of the symptoms of the disease. To confirm the diagnosis, an x-ray is performed.

Treatment: Treatment of hip fracture is conservative or operative.

Conservative treatment of fracture of the femoral neck is allowed for fractures of certain types and when there is a risk to the life of the patient during surgery. With conservative treatment, the limb is fixed with a circular gypsum hip bandage in the state of withdrawal and internal rotation for 3 to 5 months.

In conjunction with the fixation of the limb, the patient is already recommended breathing and general gymnastics from the first days. With the help of the "Balkan frame" pull up and lower the upper body, do gymnastics on the joints, stretch the muscles of the thighs.

Operative treatment of hip fracture is a serious test, but, nevertheless, this type of treatment provides all the favorable conditions for fracture fusion. During the operation, the fragments are accurately repositioned and further fixed with a metal rod, which leads to earlier activity of the patient.

Almost immediately the patient is prescribed exercise therapy and breathing exercises. After 2 - 3 weeks, the patient can move with crutches, not giving a load on the injured limb. The possibility of a load on the injured leg is determined individually.

This method of fracture fusion is not intended for people aged 60 or over, in which case there is a possibility that the bones will not grow together. For patients of this age, the most conservative method is endoprosthetics, which allows the patient to get out of bed rather quickly.

Rehabilitation: Recovery after fracture of the femoral neck should be monitored by rehabilitation specialists who will make the appointment of all the necessary measures to ensure all conditions for the speedy recovery of patients and return them to their usual rhythm of life.