Hip fractures

Symptoms of a hip fracture

Symptoms of a hip fracture after a fall may include:

• pain
• not being able to lift, move or rotate (turn) your leg
• being unable to stand or put weight on your leg
• bruising and swelling around the hip area
• a shorter leg on the injured side
• your leg turning outwards more on the injured side

A hip fracture won’t necessarily cause bruising or prevent you from standing or walking.

When to seek medical help for a hip fracture

If you think you’ve fractured your hip, you’ll need to go to hospital as soon as possible. Dial 999 for an ambulance.

Try not to move while you’re waiting for the ambulance and make sure you keep warm.

If you’ve fallen, you may feel shaken or shocked, but try not to panic. Try to get someone’s attention by:

• calling out for help
• banging on the wall or the floor
• using your aid call button (if you have one)

Hospital assessment

After arriving at hospital with a suspected hip fracture, your overall condition will be assessed. The doctor carrying out the assessment may:

• ask how you were injured and whether you had a fall
• ask if this is the first time you’ve fallen (if you did fall)
• ask about any other medical conditions you have
• ask whether you’re taking any medication
• assess how much pain you’re in
• assess your mental state (if you fell and hit your head, you may be confused)
• take your temperature
• make sure you’re not dehydrated

Depending on the outcome of your assessment, you may be given:

• painkilling medication
• a local anaesthetic injection near your hip
• intravenous fluid (fluid through a needle into a vein in your arm)

The healthcare professionals treating you will make sure you’re warm and comfortable. After a while, you may be moved from the emergency department to a ward, such as an orthopaedic ward.

To confirm whether your hip has been fractured, you may require imaging tests such as:

• an X-ray
• a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
• a computerised tomography (CT) scan

Treating a hip fracture

Surgery is usually the only treatment option for hip fractures.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that someone with a hip fracture should have surgery within 48 hours of admission to hospital.

However, surgery may sometimes be delayed if the person is unwell with another condition and treatment would significantly improve the outcome of the operation.

In about half of all cases, a partial or complete hip replacement is needed. The other cases require surgery to fix the fracture with plates and screws or rods.

The type of surgery you need depends on a number of factors, including:

• type of fracture (where on the femur it is)
• your age
• your level of mobility before the fracture
• the condition of the bone and joint – for example, whether or not you have arthritis

Read more about treating a hip fracture.

Preventing hip fractures

It may be possible to prevent hip fractures by taking steps to prevent falls and by treating osteoporosis.

You can reduce your risk of falling by:

• using walking aids, such as a walking stick
• assessing your home for hazards, such as loose carpeting, and making it safer
• using exercises to improve your balance

Read more about preventing falls.