Hip fractures, also called proximal femoral fractures, are cracks or breaks in the top of the thigh bone (femur) close to the hip joint.
Hip fractures are normally the result of a fall. See the Health A-Z topic about Falls for more information about what to do after a fall and the common risk factors.
A fall can cause a hip fracture if the bones are weak due to osteoporosis (a condition that makes the bones fragile and more likely to break). Around 3 million people in the UK have osteoporosis.
How common are hip fractures?
Hip fractures are more common in older people. Most hip fractures occur in people who are around 80 years of age, and they are four times more common in women.
It is estimated that by the year 2016, there will be around 117,000 hip fractures a year in the UK.
Outlook
Hip fractures almost always need treatment with surgery. About half of all cases will require a partial or complete hip replacement (a surgical procedure to replace the hip joint with an artificial version). The rest will need surgery to fix the fracture with plates and screws or rods.
After surgery, a rehabilitation programme that includes physiotherapy will be used to help recovery.
Rehabilitation is very important for a successful recovery. There are dedicated rehabilitation units, called geriatric orthopaedic rehabilitation units (GORU), for older people with orthopaedic conditions. There will also be a number of different healthcare professionals involved in the programme, such as occupational therapists and physiotherapists (see Hip fracture - recovery for more information).
The right programme of rehabilitation may help older people get back on their feet after surgery. Despite this, after a hip fracture some older people may:
- not regain complete mobility (the ability to move)
- no longer be able to live independently in their own homes
The National Osteoporosis Society estimates that around 1,150 people die every month in the UK as a result of hip fractures.
