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Hip Fracture

Hip Fracture

Having hip pain means moving about or using your legs becomes challenging. This hinders your normal activities and stops you from doing the things you love – if you have a sport or a hobby that needs your leg. Fractures are one of the causes of hip pain and can present a lot of problems if not treated immediately, or treated to heal properly. Physical therapy is effective for quick healing and restoring full-motion of the hip after a fracture. Our therapists are excited to help you recover completely in the shortest time. Contact us today to get started.

What is Hip Fracture

A hip fracture occurs when there is a break to the upper femur (thigh bone). This is usually a result of a fall and is most common in persons above 65 years whose bones have gotten weak from osteoporosis. When they occur in younger persons it is usually as a result of a high fall or a motor vehicle accident. Every year, 300,000 persons in the US break their hip. Hip fractures are extremely painful and require urgent medical care.

Symptoms of a Hip Fracture

  • Severe pain in the hip and/or groin area
  • Inability to walk, stand or bear weight in your affected hip or leg
  • Redness, bruise, or swelling around the hip
  • Inflammation of the hip

Types of Hip Fracture

This depends on where the fracture occurs in the upper thighbone. They include:

Femoral Neck
Fracture

This is a fracture just below the femoral head (the ball).

Intertrochanteric hip fracture

this occurs farther away from the hip joint itself, around the greater trochanter and the lesser trochanter.

Intracapsular
fracture

This is a fracture to the ball, socket, or both. It can cause the blood vessels going to the ball to get torn.

The femoral neck fracture and the intertrochanteric hip fractures are the most common.

Causes of Hip Fracture

Possible causes of hip fractures include:

Weakened bones in elderly persons as a result of osteoporosis

A far fall

automobile/ motorcycle accidents

Having too much weight (obese), which puts pressure on the hip bones

Fractures from repeated impacts or stress fractures, for example, distance runners, military recruits, or ballet dancers.

Diagnosis for Hip Fractures

At Polygon PT, one of our physical therapists will examine your hip and legs and diagnose based on the symptoms. We will walk closely with your doctor for other imaging tests such as an X-ray, an MRI, or a CT scan. These additional tests are required to identify the location and severity of the fracture.