INTRODUCTION

A fractured hip can be a life-threatening problem. The hip fracture itself isn’t usually a difficult problem to treat with surgery. But once the fracture occurs, it brings with it all the potential medical complications that can arise when aging adults are confined to bed. The goal of treatment is to get patients moving as quickly as possible after surgery. Fixing the fracture with a compression hip screw and metal plate is fairly simple and usually allows patients to get up and start moving shortly after surgery.

ANATOMY

What part of the hip is involved?

The femur is the large bone in the thigh. The ball-shaped femoral head fits into a socket in the pelvis, called the acetabulum. The femoral neck is a thinner part of the femur. It is the short section of bone next to the femoral head that connects the femoral head to the main shaft of the femur.

The intertrochanteric region of the hip is just below the femoral neck. A fracture in this area is called anintertrochanteric hip fracture. This type of fracture is most common when a person falls and fractures the hip. There is usually more than one fracture with more pieces of broken bone to be held together.

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