Causes of Hip Fracture in the Elderly, Statistics (Literature Review)

Abstract

Fractures of the neck and trochanteric regions of the femur, the major bone in the hip joint, are currently one of the most serious health care problems facing aging populations. Not only is the acute injury accompanied by severe hip pain, and an inability to stand or walk on the fractured leg, but there may be significant vascular damage to the femoral head ultimately leading to avascular necrosis and secondary osteoarthritis. Further, even after passive realignment of the femoral bone fragments, or surgery to replace the fragmented bone with a new femoral head and/or hip socket, poor healing, considerable functional disability, and a decreased capacity for managing activities of daily living independently may prevail, despite advances in anesthesia, nursing care, and surgical techniques. Because hip fractures are difficult to prevent without precise knowledge of the causative factors that underlie them, and their incidence is rising as the population ages, hip fractures pose a significant health care problem and source of morbidity and mortality for the aging populace. A better understanding of why hip fractures occur, and how treatment of these injuries can maximally restore function and prevent further injuries, in face of their rising incidence is a major challenge of considerable socioeconomic import and is the focus of the present article. However, this review will not deal with the pharmacological treatment of osteoporosis. For a review of this topic, the reader is referred to Crandall (2002), Lark and James (2002) and Mundy (2002).