Orthopedic Trauma
Hip Fracture
Hip fracture requires rapid confirmation, perioperative medical optimization without avoidable delay, fracture-pattern–appropriate fixation or arthroplasty, early rehabilitation, and secondary fracture prevention. In older adults, care is defined as much by delirium, thrombotic, functional, and mortality risk as by the operation.
Initial Approach
Treat suspected hip fracture as a time-sensitive geriatric emergency
The first priorities are confirmation, analgesia, risk assessment, and preparation for definitive surgery.
Hip fracture predominantly affects older adults after a fall from standing height in the setting of osteoporosis or osteopenia, although fractures also occur after high-energy trauma in younger patients. JAMA+2JAMAArtificial Intelligence for Hip Fracture Detection and ...PubMedHip Fracture Overview - StatPearls - NCBI BookshelfPubMedFemoral Neck Fractures - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - NIH The immediate clinical task is not solely fracture identification: assess physiologic reserve, baseline mobility and cognition, anticoagulation and coagulopathy, anemia, renal function, and acute reversible illness that could materially alter anesthetic or surgical safety. PubMed+1PubMedHip Fracture Overview - StatPearls - NCBI BookshelfccjmUpdate on medical management of acute hip fracture
Most patients require operative management. JAMA+1JAMAArtificial Intelligence for Hip Fracture Detection and ...PubMedHip Fracture Overview - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf Avoid broad, low-yield preoperative testing or medication changes that defer surgery without correcting an actionable problem. In a large observational study, surgery delayed beyond 24 hours was associated with increased 30-day mortality risk; overall 30-day mortality was 7.0%. JAMAJAMAWait Time and 30-Day Mortality in Adults Undergoing Hip ... Timing must nevertheless be individualized when active instability or a correctable condition requires treatment.
Obtain admission testing sufficient to identify anemia, renal dysfunction, and coagulation abnormalities; perform type and crossmatch because hip-fracture surgery can entail substantial blood loss. PubMedPubMedHip Fracture Overview - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf
Engage orthopedics, anesthesia, nursing, physical and occupational therapy, and geriatric or medical comanagement early; geriatric input is relevant before and after surgery for optimization, comorbidity management, falls assessment, osteoporosis evaluation, and rehabilitation planning. PubMedPubMedHip Fracture Overview - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf
Document prefracture residence, ambulatory status, assistive-device use, cognitive baseline, and goals of care, because these determine realistic operative, rehabilitation, and discharge goals. PubMed+1PubMedClinical Practice Guideline for Postoperative Rehabilitation in Older Patients With Hip FracturesPubMedThe Knowledge Base for Key Clinical Issues in Hip Fracture - Hip Fracture: Setting Priorities for Effectiveness Research - NCBI Bookshelf
| Domain | Actionable focus | Clinical consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Medical readiness | Assess anemia, renal function, coagulation status, and acute comorbidity; type and crossmatch. PubMedPubMedHip Fracture Overview - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf | Identifies correctable operative and anesthetic risks without substituting routine optimization for timely surgery. JAMA+1JAMAWait Time and 30-Day Mortality in Adults Undergoing Hip ...PubMedHip Fracture Overview - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf |
| Medication review | For ACE inhibitor or ARB therapy used only for essential hypertension, consider withholding during the 24 hours before surgery to reduce perioperative hypotension; weigh continuation individually in chronic heart failure. ccjmccjmUpdate on medical management of acute hip fracture | Reduces hypotension risk while avoiding indiscriminate interruption of heart-failure therapy. ccjmccjmUpdate on medical management of acute hip fracture |
| Beta-blockers | Do not initiate beta-blockers immediately before surgery in patients not already receiving them; continue chronic beta-blockade for systolic heart failure unless decompensation is present. ccjmccjmUpdate on medical management of acute hip fracture | Avoids immediate preoperative bradycardia and hypotension while preserving indicated chronic therapy. ccjmccjmUpdate on medical management of acute hip fracture |
| Surgical timing | Expedite definitive surgery once medically appropriate. JAMA+2JAMAWait Time and 30-Day Mortality in Adults Undergoing Hip ...WileyGuideline for the management of hip fractures 2020 - GriffithsPubMedHip fracture: management - NCBI Bookshelf | Delay beyond 24 hours was associated with increased 30-day mortality in observational data. JAMAJAMAWait Time and 30-Day Mortality in Adults Undergoing Hip ... |
Definitive Treatment
Match the operation to fracture location, stability, and patient factors
Fracture morphology and displacement determine the principal fixation-versus-arthroplasty decision.
Hip fractures encompass intracapsular femoral-neck fractures, intertrochanteric fractures, and subtrochanteric fractures. PubMed+1PubMedHip Fracture Overview - StatPearls - NCBI BookshelfPubMedFemoral Neck Fractures - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - NIH Femoral-neck displacement carries particular relevance because femoral-head blood supply courses along the neck; this concern is especially consequential in displaced fractures and in younger patients. PubMedPubMedFemoral Neck Fractures - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - NIH Surgical planning should integrate fracture pattern, displacement, physiologic status, preinjury function, and expected capacity for postoperative rehabilitation.
For subtrochanteric and reverse-obliquity fractures, AAOS guidance reports strong evidence supporting a cephalomedullary device. PubMedPubMedThe American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Evidence-Based Guideline on Management of Hip Fractures in the Elderly The supplied evidence does not provide sufficient detail to support a specific device, implant, or postoperative weight-bearing prescription for every other fracture pattern; use current institutional orthopedic protocols and the complete contemporary guideline for these decisions.
Intracapsular femoral-neck injury: prioritize orthopedic assessment of displacement, patient age, and concern for femoral-head vascular compromise. PubMedPubMedFemoral Neck Fractures - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - NIH
Intertrochanteric injury: define stability and operative fixation strategy with orthopedics; the available sources do not support more granular implant recommendations. PubMed+1PubMedThe American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Evidence-Based Guideline on Management of Hip Fractures in the ElderlyPubMedHip Fracture Overview - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf
Subtrochanteric or reverse-obliquity injury: use cephalomedullary fixation unless patient-specific anatomy or surgical considerations dictate otherwise. PubMedPubMedThe American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Evidence-Based Guideline on Management of Hip Fractures in the Elderly
Preoperative optimization without harmful delay
Medical optimization should target reversible conditions rather than pursue routine normalization of chronic disease. Enhanced-recovery principles described for acute hip fracture include minimizing catabolic fasting, reducing opioid exposure when feasible, and using regional anesthesia when possible. ccjmccjmUpdate on medical management of acute hip fracture Clear carbohydrate drinks up to 2 hours before surgery are described in this review as a strategy associated with less delirium and acute kidney injury, but local anesthesia and fasting policies should govern implementation. ccjmccjmUpdate on medical management of acute hip fracture
Do not newly start beta-blockers in the immediate preoperative period. ccjmccjmUpdate on medical management of acute hip fracture
Recognize that perioperative myocardial infarction may lack typical chest pain or ST-segment elevation; manage identified events using a guideline-directed non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction approach. ccjmccjmUpdate on medical management of acute hip fracture
Inpatient Management
Prevent immobility-related complications and mobilize through multidisciplinary care
Postoperative care should be organized around mobility restoration, delirium avoidance, complication surveillance, and discharge readiness.
Recovery requires more than technically successful fixation or arthroplasty. Rehabilitation guidance emphasizes multidisciplinary management, physical and occupational therapy, management of comorbidities and complications, and planning for community-based rehabilitation after intensive treatment. PubMedPubMedClinical Practice Guideline for Postoperative Rehabilitation in Older Patients With Hip Fractures Rehabilitation goals include restoration of mobility and physical function, improvement in quality of life, and reduction of refracture and mortality risk. PubMedPubMedClinical Practice Guideline for Postoperative Rehabilitation in Older Patients With Hip Fractures
Pain, venous thrombosis, urinary tract infection, osteoporosis, and nutrition are recognized post-fracture rehabilitation issues. PubMedPubMedClinical Practice Guideline for Postoperative Rehabilitation in Older Patients With Hip Fractures The supplied sources do not provide enough evidence to specify an analgesic regimen, venous thromboembolism prophylaxis drug, dose, duration, or universal mobilization timeline; apply current institution-specific orthopedic, anesthesia, and thromboprophylaxis protocols.
Use multidisciplinary rounds to identify pain limiting participation, delirium or cognitive change, infection, urinary complications, nutritional barriers, and functional obstacles to transfer and ambulation. PubMed+1PubMedClinical Practice Guideline for Postoperative Rehabilitation in Older Patients With Hip FracturesPubMedHip Fracture Overview - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf
Begin discharge planning early because rehabilitation setting should reflect functional deficits, comorbidity burden, rehabilitation needs, and available support services. PubMedPubMedThe Knowledge Base for Key Clinical Issues in Hip Fracture - Hip Fracture: Setting Priorities for Effectiveness Research - NCBI Bookshelf
Communicate expected outcomes explicitly: hip fracture is associated with impaired ambulation, institutionalization in at least one-third of survivors in some studies, and excess 1-year mortality of 12% to 25%. PubMedPubMedThe Knowledge Base for Key Clinical Issues in Hip Fracture - Hip Fracture: Setting Priorities for Effectiveness Research - NCBI Bookshelf
After the Acute Episode
Use hip fracture as a mandatory secondary prevention trigger
The fracture episode should close with a documented plan for bone health and recurrent-fall risk.
A hip fracture should prompt osteoporosis assessment and treatment planning rather than deferral to an unspecified outpatient visit. Geriatric involvement is specifically relevant to osteoporosis investigation and falls-risk assessment during recovery. PubMedPubMedHip Fracture Overview - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf In men aged 50 years or older, Endocrine Society guidance recommends pharmacologic treatment after a hip or spine fracture, independent of bone mineral density, and also recommends treatment for a T-score of −2.5 or lower or high fracture risk. Oxford AcademicOxford AcademicOsteoporosis in Men: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice ...
U.S. observational data have documented low osteoporosis medication treatment rates after hip fracture, despite the position that affected patients should be considered for FDA-approved osteoporosis medication. Oxford AcademicOxford AcademicOsteoporosis Medication Use After Hip Fracture in U.S. ... The supplied search results do not provide medication-specific selection criteria, doses, renal thresholds, sequencing, or monitoring; avoid prescribing details beyond current labeling and comprehensive osteoporosis guidance.
Before discharge or transfer, assign ownership for osteoporosis evaluation, pharmacotherapy decision-making, and falls-risk intervention. Oxford Academic+1Oxford AcademicOsteoporosis Medication Use After Hip Fracture in U.S. ...PubMedHip Fracture Overview - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf
For men aged 50 years or older with hip fracture, pharmacologic osteoporosis treatment is guideline-supported. Oxford AcademicOxford AcademicOsteoporosis in Men: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice ...
Review prior antiresorptive exposure and new thigh or groin pain when clinically relevant: atypical femoral fractures have been reported with anti-osteoporosis therapies, including bisphosphonates and denosumab, but adverse-event reporting cannot establish comparative causality or incidence. NatureNatureAtypical femur fracture associated with common anti-osteoporosis drugs in FDA adverse event reporting system | Scientific Reports
Prognosis
Frame prognosis around survival, mobility, and living independence
Prognosis should guide goals-of-care discussions, rehabilitation planning, and caregiver counseling.
Hip fracture carries substantial short- and long-term risk. In a large cohort evaluating surgical wait time, 30-day mortality was 7.0%. JAMAJAMAWait Time and 30-Day Mortality in Adults Undergoing Hip ... Earlier U.S. effectiveness-research synthesis reported excess 1-year mortality of 12% to 25%, impaired ambulation, and institutionalization in 33% or more of survivors; some studies reported long-term care needs in as many as 50% of patients. PubMedPubMedThe Knowledge Base for Key Clinical Issues in Hip Fracture - Hip Fracture: Setting Priorities for Effectiveness Research - NCBI Bookshelf These estimates should support honest counseling but should not replace individualized prognostication based on baseline function, cognition, comorbidity, fracture pattern, perioperative course, and rehabilitation response.
The most useful communication is functional: establish whether the expected goal is restoration of prior community mobility, transfer-level independence, limited ambulation, or comfort-focused care. Rehabilitation needs and setting depend on the number of problems to address, severity of functional deficits, severity of comorbid conditions, and access to alternative services. PubMedPubMedThe Knowledge Base for Key Clinical Issues in Hip Fracture - Hip Fracture: Setting Priorities for Effectiveness Research - NCBI Bookshelf
Discuss likely discharge needs with patients and caregivers early, particularly when prefracture function or cognition was limited. PubMedPubMedThe Knowledge Base for Key Clinical Issues in Hip Fracture - Hip Fracture: Setting Priorities for Effectiveness Research - NCBI Bookshelf
Use survival estimates as population-level context, not as a reason to delay indicated rehabilitation, secondary prevention, or shared decision-making. JAMA+1JAMAWait Time and 30-Day Mortality in Adults Undergoing Hip ...PubMedThe Knowledge Base for Key Clinical Issues in Hip Fracture - Hip Fracture: Setting Priorities for Effectiveness Research - NCBI Bookshelf
Common questions
Should hip-fracture surgery be delayed for extensive medical optimization?
Correct reversible instability and clinically meaningful acute problems, but avoid nonessential delay. Waiting longer than 24 hours was associated with increased 30-day mortality risk in observational data. JAMAJAMAWait Time and 30-Day Mortality in Adults Undergoing Hip ...
Which fracture pattern has a clear implant recommendation in the available evidence?
AAOS guidance strongly supports a cephalomedullary device for subtrochanteric or reverse-obliquity fractures. PubMedPubMedThe American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Evidence-Based Guideline on Management of Hip Fractures in the Elderly
What osteoporosis action is supported after hip fracture?
Arrange osteoporosis evaluation and treatment ownership. Hip-fracture patients should be considered for FDA-approved osteoporosis medication; men aged 50 years or older with hip fracture meet Endocrine Society treatment criteria. Oxford Academic+2Oxford AcademicOsteoporosis Medication Use After Hip Fracture in U.S. ...Oxford AcademicOsteoporosis in Men: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice ...PubMedHip Fracture Overview - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf
What should determine rehabilitation disposition after hip fracture?
Base disposition on functional deficits, comorbidity severity, rehabilitation needs, and access to alternative support services. PubMedPubMedThe Knowledge Base for Key Clinical Issues in Hip Fracture - Hip Fracture: Setting Priorities for Effectiveness Research - NCBI Bookshelf
References
- - IIER - accessdata.fda.gov — www.accessdata.fda.gov · www.accessdata.fda.gov
- Wait Time and 30-Day Mortality in Adults Undergoing Hip ... — jamanetwork.com · jamanetwork.com
- Hip Fracture Risk Assessment Tools for Adults Aged 80 ... — jamanetwork.com · jamanetwork.com
- Low Frequency of Treatment of Osteoporosis Among ... — jamanetwork.com · jamanetwork.com
- Artificial Intelligence for Hip Fracture Detection and ... — jamanetwork.com · jamanetwork.com
- Hip fractures - Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment | BMJ Best Practice US — bestpractice.bmj.com · bestpractice.bmj.com
- Proton Pump Inhibitors and the Risk for Fracture at Specific Sites: Data Mining of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System | Scientific Reports — www.nature.com · www.nature.com
- Atypical femur fracture associated with common anti-osteoporosis drugs in FDA adverse event reporting system | Scientific Reports — www.nature.com · www.nature.com
- FDA Policy and Cardiovascular Medicine | Circulation — www.ahajournals.org · www.ahajournals.org
- Guideline for the management of hip fractures 2020 - Griffiths — associationofanaesthetists-publications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com · associationofanaesthetists-publications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
- Erythropoietin treatment and the risk of hip fractures in hemodialysis ... — academic.oup.com · academic.oup.com
- Osteoporosis Medication Use After Hip Fracture in U.S. ... — academic.oup.com · academic.oup.com
- Osteoporosis in Men: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice ... — academic.oup.com · academic.oup.com
- Prescription of off-label medications in patients on dialysis — academic.oup.com · academic.oup.com
- AAOS Clinical Practice Guideline Summary: Management of Hip Fractures in Older Adults - PubMed — pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Evidence-Based Guideline on Management of Hip Fractures in the Elderly — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Clinical Practice Guideline for Postoperative Rehabilitation in Older Patients With Hip Fractures — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Clinical practice guideline recommendations for orthopedic surgical management of traumatic hip fractures: a systematic review — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Systematic review of clinical practice guidelines for adults with fractures: identification of best evidence for rehabilitation to develop the WHO’s Package of Interventions for Rehabilitation — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Hip fracture: management - NCBI Bookshelf — www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- The Knowledge Base for Key Clinical Issues in Hip Fracture - Hip Fracture: Setting Priorities for Effectiveness Research - NCBI Bookshelf — www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Hip Fracture Overview - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf — www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Femoral Neck Fractures - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - NIH — www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Update on medical management of acute hip fracture — www.ccjm.org · www.ccjm.org