Have You Fractured Your Hip?

One of the worst injuries a person can suffer is a hip fracture. The hip is so vital to balance and walking that any injury to the bones or socket, no matter how small, can become debilitating. Many people cannot walk, work, or spend time with their family as they struggle with pain.

Our firm can help if you injured your hip in a slip and fall, trip and fall, car wreck, or other accident. The elderly have a reputation for suffering hip fractures, but anyone regardless of age could suffer this injury. Contact us for assistance.

Signs You Fractured Your Hip

After an accident, you might notice some pain in your hip or groin. This is often the first sign that you have suffered a fracture. Other symptoms include:

• Bruising or swelling in the hip
• Inability to walk
• Inability to put weight on the affected leg
• Outward turn of the leg to the side
• One leg shorter than the other

Visit a doctor to the hospital as soon as possible to have your hip checked out. A doctor can order an X-ray or other test to view the bone.

Hip Fractures & Complications

There are several varieties of hip fractures our clients have suffered:

• Intertrochanteric hip fracture. The bone breaks about 3-4 inches away from the hip joint. Fortunately, it carries the fewest complications, though it can make walking impossible.
• Femoral neck fracture. This break occurs in the femur about an inch or two from the socket. A femoral neck fracture can slice through blood vessels, which can interrupt the femur’s blood supply.
• Intracapsular fracture. This fracture occurs in the ball and socket. It can also interrupt the flow of blood to the ball.

When blood flow is interrupted, the bone can become severely compromised and possibly die. For this reason, a person needs immediate medical attention if they feel pain in their hip or groin after an accident.

Because hip fractures leave many people bedridden, they all carry additional complications, such as pressure sores, blood clots, and pneumonia. It is vital that those suffering a fracture are turned regularly and try to get out of bed as much as they can.

Recovering from a Hip Fracture

Treatment depends on the severity of the break. If there is only a hairline fracture, then a person might only need rest and to keep weight off the leg for a while until the bone heals on its own. Other breaks could require surgery to try and join the bones back together.

Hip fractures have a reputation for being incredibly painful, so your doctor will probably prescribe pain medication and possibly something to relax your muscles or help you sleep.

Many hip fractures require rehabilitation to regain any loss of the range of motion. If a person has been bedridden for a long time, they could have suffered muscle atrophy, which can likewise make it difficult to return to daily activities even once your bone has healed.

Contact a Coral Gables Personal Injury Lawyer

Halpern Santos & Pinkert, P.A. has helped many accident victims overcome their hip injuries. We fight for maximum compensation by suing all entities responsible for your injury. Contact our Florida personal injury lawyers today to schedule your free consultation.

Resource:

healthline.com/health/hip-fracture-surgeries#types

https://www.hsptrial.com/5-questions-to-ask-a-personal-injury-lawyer/