If you or a family member suffered a broken hip as a result of the carelessness and negligence of somebody else, you know that months of medical care and treatment are in the in the future, especially of surgery was involved. Contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer.
Contact your local attorneys at Maison Law today.
Hip Fractures are Femur Fractures
As per the Harvard Medical School, the human hip is a joint, and it’s where the upper end of the femur is located in a socket in the pelvis. A hip fracture will always involve the upper end of the femur. Here are the three places at that bone’s upper end where it might fracture:
- The Femur’s Head: This is the upper rounded surface of the femur that inserts into its socket.
- At the Neck of the Femur: This is also at the top of the femur, but before the femur’s head. It’s the neck of the femur and described as an inverted “L.”
- Between the Two Trochanters or Below Them: At the lower end of the hip, the femur becomes angled toward the knee. There are two humps at this bend that are called the greater trochanter and lesser trochanter. A fracture might occur between them or below them.
Causes of Broken Hips
Anybody can suffer a broken hip, but they’re most common in the elderly. Hip fractures are caused by slip-and-falls, trip-and-falls motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents and falls from heights. Fractures of the femoral head require a high-energy impact like an auto accident. Femoral head stress fractures might be suffered by military recruits in basic training who are required to run long distances.
Broken Hip Symptoms
The primary sign of a hip fracture is an inability to stand or walk. If a person does stand, the foot on the affected side might appear to be pointing inward or outward with the leg on that side appearing to be shorter than the other leg. There might be bruising at the location of the fracture. Pain is usually in the upper thigh and groin, but its unlikely that the victim will be able to bend the knee on the affected leg.
Diagnosing a Broken Hip
Most hip fracture patients are taken to a hospital emergency room immediately. After an examination, x-rays will be ordered. Most hip fractures will be revealed on x-ray studies. A CT scan might be ordered so that doctors might learn more about the fracture.
Treating a Broken Hip
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, nearly all broken hips require surgery within a day or two of the time of the fracture. Femoral head fractures are treated with either screws, pins or hip replacement. A fracture between the two trochanters might also be treated with screws or pins, but a greater trochanter fracture might not even require surgery. A femoral head fracture that isn’t displaced might not require surgery either. If there is a large fragment with a younger patient, screws must be used. In an older patient, hip replacement is more likely.
Recovering from a Fractured Hip
How long it takes to recover from a broken hip depends on the fracture, whether surgery was necessary, whether screws and pins were implanted or whether the hip was replaced. Even with pins and screws, the individual should try walking with a walker as soon as possible to try and avoid blood clots or pneumonia. If replacement surgery was necessary, it might be as long as three months before some people use a walker. Elderly victims with underlying conditions are likely to have more difficulty with the surgery and recovery. The risk of complications increases dramatically.
California Personal Injury Lawyer Helping People with Hip Fractures
There is likely to be at least some residual permanency with any hip fracture. California law allows that to be taken into account in computing a victim’s damages. If you or somebody close to you suffered a hip fracture in an accident, either you or somebody on your behalf should contact us at Maison Law as soon as possible for that free consultation. If you can’t come to us, we can come to you. If we enter into a retainer agreement with you, no legal fees at all are due unless we obtain a settlement or award for you.
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