Falls cause most hip fractures in older adults. As you get older, your bones naturally lose some strength and are more likely to break, even from a minor fall. Children and young adults are more likely to break a hip due to trauma such as a bike or car accident or a sports injury. Each hip fracture costs the system $21,285 in the 1st year after hospitalization, and $44,156 if the patient is institutionalized.

• Being female
• Your family history—being thin or tall or having family members who had fractures later in life
• Poor eating habits; not getting enough calcium and vitamins can weaken bones
• Not being active; weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, can help keep bones strong
• Smoking
• Medical conditions that cause dizziness or problems with balance, or conditions such as arthritis that can interfere with steady and safe movement
• Taking certain medicines that may lead to bone loss

A hip fracture is a break in the upper part of the thigh bone (femur) where the thigh bone joins the pelvis to form the hip joint. Most hip fractures occur in the area just below the ball of the femur (femoral neck region) and the area just below this (intertrochanteric region). A hip fracture almost always completely breaks the bone. A partial break in the bone (hairline fracture) may occur; but a partial break is not as common and may not show up on an X-ray.

Last Updated: July 10, 2009
Author: Douglas Dana & Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH
Medical Review: William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine & Andrew Swan, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine & Kenneth J. Koval, MD - Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Trauma

Reference

• HealthLinkBC