Hip fracture
A hip fracture occurs when there’s a crack or complete break in the upper area of the thigh (femur) bone. This injury is serious and requires immediate medical attention. A fracture can happen anywhere along the hip bone, while a hip dislocation only occurs in the hip joint.
A broken hip typically results from injury, trauma or a fall.
Hip fracture is a common injury that mostly affects older people with osteoporosis or certain types of cancer. A broken hip in an aging adult is a serious injury and the complications from such an injury can be life-threatening.
Types of hip fractures are:
Femoral neck fracture—the fracture occurs one to two inches from the hip joint.
Intertrochanteric fracture—the break is three to four inches from the hip joint.
Subtrochanteric—occurs near the hip joint in the upper part of the thigh bone.