Broken hip

Broken hips (hip fractures) are breaks in the top of the thigh bone (femur) close to the hip joint. They are sometimes called a fractured neck of femur.

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Causes of a broken hip

Broken hips are usually caused by a fall. In older people, a fall from standing is often enough to break a hip.

Fall prevention

Younger people can also break their hip. In these cases, it is more likely to be caused by trauma such as falling off a bike or falling from a significant height. The denser bones of younger people mean that greater force is needed to break a bone as large as the hip bone.

Symptoms of a broken hip

Symptoms of a broken hip after a fall may include:

  • pain
  • not being able to lift, move or turn your leg
  • not being able to stand or put weight on your leg
  • bruising and swelling around your hip
  • your injured leg appearing shorter than your other leg
  • your injured leg turning outwards.

A broken hip will not necessarily cause bruising or prevent you from standing or walking.

When to go to the emergency department

If you are worried that you may have broken your hip, go to hospital for assessment. Call 111 and ask for an ambulance.

Diagnosing a broken hip

If you think you have broken your hip, talk to your healthcare provider. They will:

  • examine your hips and legs
  • take an x-ray to confirm whether your hip is broken.

If you have had a fall, your healthcare provider will try and find out why so they can treat any underlying cause. There may be a medical reason for your fall, such as:

  • low blood pressure
  • a heart rhythm abnormality
  • fainting.

Treating a broken hip

Surgery is usually the best treatment for a broken hip.

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

The type of surgery you have will depend on several factors, including:

  • the type of break (where on the femur it is)
  • your age
  • your level of mobility before the break
  • the condition of your bone and joint, for example, whether you have arthritis in the joint.

Conservative treatment

Conservative treatment may be necessary if surgery is not possible. This may be if a person:

  • is too frail to cope with surgery
  • did not go to hospital straight after they broke their hip and it has already started to heal.

But it involves a long period of bed rest and is not often recommended because it can:

  • make people more unwell in the long-term
  • involve a longer stay in hospital
  • slow down recovery.