KnotesFree Orthopaedic & FRCS notes, viva stations and higher order SBAs

Hip Fracture

Must KnowTraumathinKbox SBA

in elderly

Principle

  • Assuming that the injury is closed, isolated and the limb is neurovascularly intact, I will follow the BOAST and NICE guidelines and involve a multidisciplinary team
  • My protocol include
    • Initial assessment and Initial management
    • Definitive management
    • Post operative management

Initial assessment and Management

  • I will offer immediate analgesia (P-mol 6 hourly) to allow movement needed for investigations
  • Identify and treat co morbidities
    • Anaemia and anticoagulation
    • Blood pressure
    • Cardiac arrhythmia, ischemia and chest infection
    • Diabetes
    • Electrolyte imbalance
  • MRI to be offered if not able to bear wt with normal X-ray. If not available, offer CT
  • IV fluids are administered and appropriate blood tests undertaken
  • Plan for surgery on the same day/ day after admission

6 standards of care

  • Admit with in 4 hours
  • Surgery with in 48 hours
  • Minimise risk of pressure ulcer
  • Ortho geriatric medical support
  • Bone health assessment
  • Fall prevention

Definitive treatment

  • Planned trauma list
  • I will offer replacement arthroplasty
  • Cemented THR
    • Able to walk in-depend out door with no more than 1 stick
    • Cognitively unimpaired
    • Anaesthetically fit
  • Otherwise cemented hemiarthroplasty
  • Use anterolateral approach

Key points

  • If a hip fracture complicates or precipitates a terminal illness, the multidisciplinary team should still consider the role of surgery as part of a palliative care approach that:
  • minimises pain and other symptoms and
  • establishes patients' own priorities for rehabilitation and
  • considers patients' wishes about their end-of-life care.
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
THA Hemi
Function HHS 5 points better Worse
Reoperation RR: 0.57 more
Dislocation RR:1.5 Less
General complication RR: 1.1 Less

Post op

  • Rehab prescription
  • Early mobilisation
  • Fall prevention
  • anti resorptive treatment and
  • secondary prevention

Garden classification

  • (based on AP radiographs and does not consider lateral or sagittal plane alignment)
  • Incomplete, ie. valgus impacted Type I
    • Complete fx. nondisplaced Type II
  • Complete, partially displaced Type III
  • Complete, fully displaced Type IV

Written/reviewed by Kishore Puthezhath

Professor of Orthopaedics and Consultant Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon

FRCS (Tr & Orth) revision resource

Reviewed: September 2026