hip surgery

Hip Fracture Basics: Types and Causes of Broken Hips

Hip fractures are serious injuries that often require surgery to repair. Every year in the United States alone over 300,000 people suffer broken hips and require hospitalization. Of that number, over half of those people suffering a hip fracture are over the age of 80.

Bone density, age, and other medical conditions can all contribute to the likelihood of a broken hip, but generally a fracture occurs because of some sort of trauma to the area, like a fall. Most hip fractures in the elderly are caused by falls, while in younger patients - car accidents and other high impact injuries are the most likely causes.

Elderly women and other patients with osteoporosis are at a greater risk of suffering a broken hip in the event of a fall. Because osteoporosis weakens the skeletal system by causing loss of bone mass - bones and joints are at a greater risk of fracturing in the event of trauma.