This Study is Closed to Enrollment
One of the most serious fall injuries is a broken hip. It is hard to recover from a hip fracture, and afterward many people are not able to live on their own. As the U.S. population ages, the number of hip fractures is likely to go up. More than 300,000 patients in the U.S. experience hip fractures each year with the number expected to increase to 700,000 by the year 2050, driven by the increased life spans and aging of the baby boom generation.
- Each year at least 250,000 of those 65 and older are hospitalized for hip fractures
- More than 95% of hip fracture are caused by falling sideways
- Women experience three-quarters of all hip fractures because they fall more often than men
- Women more often have osteoporosis, a disease that weakens bones and makes them more likely to break
- The chances of breaking your hip go up as you age
“Why should I participate in a Clinical Research Trial?“
Current Hip Fracture Treatment
Treatment for hip fractures usually involves a combination of surgery, rehabilitation, and medication. About 20 percent of people who have a hip fracture will have another hip fracture within two years.
One medication commonly prescribed called bisphosphonate might help reduce the risk of a second hip fracture.
The type of surgery to treat hip fractures will depend on the location and severity of the fracture.
Options include;
- Internal repair using screws. Metal screws are inserted into the bone to hold it together while the fracture heals
- Surgical option A – partial hip replacement. If the ends of the broken bone are displaced or damaged, the surgeon may remove the head and neck of the femur and install a metal replacement (prosthesis).
- Surgical option B – total hip replacement may be necessary where the upper femur and the socket in the pelvic bone are replaced with prostheses.
Additional Options
This is not the end of the treatment road for hip fractures. With ongoing research and technological advances, there may be additional treatment options. For more information on clinical research trials for the treatment of acute hip fractures, contact Physicians Research Group.
Find out how Physicians Research Group can help you with your recent hip fracture, and how you, in turn, can help others in the same situation.
References
1. National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS), National Center for Health Statistics. Health Data Interactive, Health Care Use and Expenditures. www.cdc.gov/nchs/hdi.htm. Accessed 21 December 2012.
2. Parkkari J, Kannus P, Palvanen M, Natri A, Vainio J, Aho H, Vuori I, Järvinen M. Majority of hip fractures occur as a result of a fall and impact on the greater trochanter of the femur: a prospective controlled hip fracture study with 206 consecutive patients. Calcif Tissue Int, 1999;65:183–7.
3. Hayes WC, Myers ER, Morris JN, Gerhart TN, Yett HS, Lipsitz LA. Impact near the hip dominates fracture risk in elderly nursing home residents who fall. Calcif Tissue Int 1993; 52:192-198.
4. http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/adulthipfx.html
5. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hip-fracture/basics/treatment/con-20021033
