page_title: Hip fracture
section_title: Signs and symptoms
hierarchical_section_title: Hip fracture / Signs and symptoms
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: außenrotiertes und verkürztes Bein bei Schenkelhalsfraktur re
context_page_description: A hip fracture is a break that occurs in the upper part of the femur. Symptoms may include pain around the hip, particularly with movement, and shortening of the leg. Usually the person cannot walk.
  They most often occur as a result of a fall. Risk factors include osteoporosis, taking many medications, alcohol use, and metastatic cancer. Diagnosis is generally by X-rays. Magnetic resonance imaging, a CT scan, or a bone scan may occasionally be required to make the diagnosis.
  Pain management may involve opioids or a nerve block. If the person's health allows, surgery is generally recommended within two days. Options for surgery may include a total hip replacement or stabilizing the fracture with screws. Treatment to prevent blood clots following surgery is recommended.
  About 15% of women break their hip at some point in life; women are more often affected than men. Hip fractures become more common with age. The risk of death in the year following a fracture is about 20% in older people.
context_section_description: The classic clinical presentation of a hip fracture is an elderly patient who sustained a low-energy fall and now has groin pain and is unable to bear weight. Pain may be referred to the supracondylar knee. On examination, the affected extremity is often shortened and unnaturally, externally rotated compared to the unaffected leg.
caption: the affected extremity is often shortened and unnaturally, externally rotated compared to the unaffected leg
exif: {"Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon EOS 300D DIGITAL", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "180", "Image YResolution": "180", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image DateTime": "2008:06:21 09:12:38", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image ExifOffset": "196", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "180", "Thumbnail YResolution": "180", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1528", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "10809", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/400", "EXIF FNumber": "10", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "400", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2008:06:21 09:12:38", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2008:06:21 09:12:38", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "277/32", "EXIF ApertureValue": "213/32", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF FocalLength": "20", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3072", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2048", "Interoperability InteroperabilityIndex": "R98", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "Interoperability RelatedImageWidth": "3072", "Interoperability RelatedImageLength": "2048", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "1364", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "1572864/457", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "1048576/305", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "2"}