A broken hip is probably nothing less than a nightmare for a lot of people. It hurts a lot and the only real way to get relief from the excruciating pain is getting a surgery done by an orthopedic hip surgeon. Here is everything you need to know about hip fractures.

What Are Hip Fractures?

Hip fractures are very common to occur in old people or in people who are suffering from bone diseases like arthritis or osteoporosis. The weakening of the bones can lead to breakage if the bone comes under a huge impact. This is why old people are advised not to walk too much, because they are at risk of falling down and if they fall down, the hip might be impacted and it can lead to a possible hip fracture. Hip fractures are very painful and they are mostly cured through surgery.

A fracture in the hip can leave you unable to walk or sit properly. You will be in excruciating pain most of the time. This is why it needs to be checked immediately. If you feel like your hip is in too much pain and you have had a recent fall, then it is better to consult with your doctor and have your hip checked.

Symptoms Of Hip Fractures

Some of the very common symptoms of hip fractures are as follows:

• You are unable to walk properly, you will feel like your lower abdomen is always in severe pain.
• Along with pain, you might feel numbness in your hip. In worst cases, the numbness can trickle down to your legs and you won’t be able to feel your legs either. This is a very serious condition.
• You can also feel or see bruises on the affected hip. This might indicate collapsed nerves and damaged muscles because of a fall.
• You are unable to sit for longer periods of time, your hip will feel sore and you will feel the urge to get up immediately. But upon getting up, you will feel a striking pain from your hip down your leg.
• You also cannot lay down on your hip because of the pains rising from your hip and penetrating through your back and legs.

How Are Hip Fractures Diagnosed?

Hip fractures can be easily diagnosed through 2 ways:

• Through an x-ray. An x-ray is usually done when you go to a doctor’s office and have your hip checked. You tell the doctor all of the symptoms and pains that you are feeling. The doctor will immediately request an x-ray to be done. From an x-ray, the doctor can see exactly where the fractures are and if it is on one side of the hip or on both sides.
• If the x-ray is unable to show the fractures, maybe because they are too small to be picked up by the x-ray machine, then an MRI is done. Think of MRI as a high resolution x-ray. It will give the right location of fractures, whether they are big or micro fractures. An MRI can easily detect the fractures and after the MRI has been studied by the doctor, a treatment plan can be proposed and you can go forward with the arrangement of a surgery.

Treatment Options For Hip Fractures

The treatment options for a fractured hip are as follows:

• Partial hip replacement surgery is done when the ends of your bones can be fused together with a metal prosthetic. You don’t need to remove the entire femoral bone.
• Total hip replacement surgery is done if the femoral and the pelvic bone are damaged beyond repair and you have to replace these two with metal prosthetics.
• Internal fusion with screws can be done to fuse the two broken pieces of bones together with the help of metal screws, while giving time to the bone to heal and fuse naturally.

Conclusion

With this thorough guide, you know everything there is to hip fractures, how they are treated, diagnosed and what are their symptoms. With knowing the symptoms, you can get yourself checked by a hip orthopedic specialist Woodbridge and get relief from the pain as quickly as possible. If you go through a surgery, it may take time to heal, but eventually you will feel better.