Treatment of hip fracture

The neck of the hip looks like a narrow part of the bone, connecting the femoral part of the skeleton with the pelvic bones. On this site are the maximum loads of all human movements. 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 fracture of the femoral neck is accompanied by long-term bed rest and the risk of various complications, 30% of which are fatal 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: You can get a fracture as a result of a person falling on their side. With such a fall, the main effect is directed to the site of the hip joint. However, to obtain a fracture, one fall is not enough, for this reason, some reasons are necessary.

Causes: 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, a small secretion of hormonal estrogens increases the excretion of calcium from the body.

Symptoms: Treatment of a fracture of the femoral neck should be performed immediately after the manifestation of its first signs. 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 diseased 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."

Diagnosis: 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 a fracture of the neck of the hip can be 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 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 part of the body, do gymnastics on the joints, stretch the muscles of the thighs.

Surgical 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.

Practically at once 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 damaged limb. The possibility of loading the leg is determined individually.

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

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