Hip fractures are common in older people. This is caused by a violation of the structure of the femur, which is caused by age-related features that increase annually. Among the diseases of the musculoskeletal system that cause fractures, osteoporosis ranks first.
Most osteoporotic pathologies occur due to impacts or falls. Sometimes an accident happens at home due to minor bruises while getting out of bed. Sometimes injuries are associated with metastatic damage to the femur and malignant tumors.
The frequency of injuries and their consequences increases in retirement age. Osteoporosis most often affects postmenopausal women. Bone fractures that occur due to a structural disorder of bone tissue or a decrease in its density are considered pathological.
Most patients with a femur fracture require careful treatment and long-term rehabilitation. Large expenses are associated with inpatient treatment.
Treatment is often difficult due to exacerbation of somatic diseases. Violation of doctor's recommendations results in serious consequences - bedsores, pneumonia.
In practice, treatment of fractures associated with displacement of the femur is reduced to the use of a derotation shoe (traction).
Recently, the attitude towards this topic has changed radically. But the difficulty of surgical treatment of patients with bone tissue pathology remains unresolved. The consequences are determined by the anatomical structure and nature of femoral fractures.
The femur consists of limbs and a main body. The femoral head is located in the upper part, adjacent to the articular cavity. This is the structure of the joint. Below is the neck, which connects to the body of the thigh. Thanks to the lower part of the femur, two islands are formed adjacent to the patella and tibia.
Hip fractures are divided into a number of types:
Trochanteric, divided into intertrochanteric and pertrochanteric femoral fractures:
A closed fracture of the left femur is less dangerous; as a result of an open fracture, the patient loses a lot of blood.
Comminuted fracture. Such fractures are accompanied by dull pain, swelling, bruising, and dizziness.
Symptoms of such fractures:
An externally closed fracture of the femur is accompanied by swelling and hematoma on the right and left side of the thigh. In the case of a hip fracture, the signs are less pronounced, the swelling is mild, and there are no bruises.
In addition to the hip, areas of the body adjacent to the site of injury are affected. As a result of an open fracture, the skin on the right or left side of the femur is torn.
The diagnosis is made by a doctor using x-rays. If you receive an injury to the internal joints, magnetic resonance imaging is prescribed.
These types of injuries are not easy to treat; there is no periosteum on the neck. As a result of the fracture, blood circulation becomes difficult. The prognosis worsens due to poor nutrition.
If the patient is treated on time, external fractures have a good prognosis even without surgery. This happens in the absence of comminuted fractures.
First, the injured area is numbed. Then the doctor prescribes treatment. If the fracture occurs inside the joint, surgery is not necessary. But surgical intervention is possible in the absence of contraindications associated with age and chronic diseases.
Due to the possibility of complications associated with joint displacement, the patient is prescribed both maximum mobility and complete rest. For example, if there is a fracture of the left hip, it is permissible to develop the limbs of the right side and the left arm.
In case of possible surgery, fixation of the affected areas is carried out with a three-blade nail or using autologous bone grafting. A well-known method of treatment in such cases is skeletal traction, and later the patient is given a plaster cast.
In the case of such a fracture, surgery is more often resorted to, and the treatment time will be significantly reduced. Surgical intervention is performed using special plates and a three-bladed nail.
This type of injury is dangerous and is accompanied by severe painful shock.
Symptoms of a fracture of the body of the femur: the victim feels severe pain at the site of injury. Swelling, unnatural mobility of the leg, and deformation appear.
First aid: the victim should be placed on a flat surface, the damaged area is fixed with a splint. If the left side is damaged, the patient is placed on the right side. The victim is given a painkiller, covered with a warm blanket and sent to the trauma department.
The result of fractures is a painful shock, which is eliminated with the help of anesthesia. If there is a large loss of blood, a blood transfusion or the use of blood substitutes is prescribed. At the beginning of treatment, plaster is not applied; it is not able to hold the bone fragments in the correct position.
The main method is skeletal traction. An elderly patient is often unable to do without surgery. Skeletal traction becomes the main remedy.
Conservative treatment consists of ensuring immobility of the damaged area. Surgical intervention speeds up the restoration of motor activity, but it is rarely prescribed to elderly patients.
A similar fracture occurs after falls and strong blows. Elderly people with the diagnosis can be found often.
Symptoms: patients complain of pain and immobility of the leg. As a result of a fracture of the external process, the knee is directed unnaturally towards the left or right side, depending on the location of the injury.
How the treatment is carried out: the diseased area is anesthetized, a puncture is performed in the joint area. The plaster is applied from the groin towards the bone. If it is impossible to reconcile the fragments, screws are used, and sometimes skeletal traction is used.
Situations are not always hopeless. Cases of recovery are rare, but they do happen.
Rehabilitation includes treatment, exercise and massage. You need to massage your right and left legs to restore blood circulation. Examples:
You can speed up the recovery of patients using folk remedies:
Rehabilitation is more successful in people who have led a healthy lifestyle throughout their lives, engaged in physical therapy, ate foods rich in calcium, and after a fracture received high-quality care and timely treatment.
Rehabilitation includes systematic massage in combination with physiological procedures and therapeutic exercises.
Fractures in the elderly are a whole big chapter in traumatology. What are the features of the occurrence, course and treatment of fractures in older people?
The human skeleton is a rigid armature that bears large mechanical loads under the influence of both body weight and muscle work. Therefore, bone tissue has a large reserve of strength for compression, fracture, shear, etc. This strength is explained by the very structure of the bone: the diaphyses are a hollow tube consisting of very strong compact bone, and the epiphyses are the expanding ends of these tubes, built of spongy substance ; their strength is ensured by bone beams oriented along the force lines of the load. Microscopically, bone tissue consists of very small bone cells surrounded by a large amount of dense ground bone substance. The cell itself with its bone substance is called an osteon. Thousands of osteons are located in the bone longitudinally to its long axis and perfectly resist the main load of the bone - compression. The strength of the bone also depends on the composition of the main substance - dense organic material, “impregnated” with mineral salts, mainly calcium salts. Thus, this entire complex micro- and macrostructure of the bone is damaged only under very significant loads, causing a bone fracture.
Starting from adulthood, on average from 40-50 years, physiological, slow aging processes begin in the bones. Its main substance loses water, which causes the bone to become less elastic; its entire compact layer becomes somewhat thinner, the bone marrow canals expand, the number of bone beams in the spongy bone decreases, and the remaining ones become more fragile (osteoporosis phenomena). Consequently, the total resistance to heavy loads in the bones of elderly people noticeably decreases. These processes are less pronounced in older people who lead an active lifestyle, engage in physical education and sports. On the contrary, with a sedentary lifestyle and many somatic diseases, the aging process in the bones proceeds much faster.
Everything described above makes it clear why fractures occur in older people with significantly less trauma than in young people. Indeed, the cause of fractures in the elderly can be a fall on the floor or from a small height (from a chair), a fall on the sidewalk, or sometimes just a slight bruise on a bus when it brakes. Typical road traffic injuries are less common in older people; This is due to the fact that not all old people are active pedestrians. But even with such injuries, as a rule, a very small external impact is sufficient to cause a fracture.
Of course, with severe injuries, older people experience the same massive fractures as people of other age groups. But the elderly still have the most frequent, typical fractures, usually arising from minor injuries of a certain localization. Such fractures account for 70-80% of all fractures in the elderly. This is a fracture of the radius in the area of the distal epiphysis (the so-called fracture of the radius in a typical location), the neck of the humerus, the femoral neck, the pertrochanteric and, finally, a compression fracture of the spine.
In the symptoms and course of fractures of various locations, some common features can be identified. The pain reaction in an elderly person, as a rule, is not as strong as in middle age, and even more so in childhood. Local phenomena - swelling, pain on palpation, dysfunction of the limb - are also less pronounced. On the contrary, a bruise that appears a few days after an injury occupies a very large area, lasts a long time and often frightens the patient and confuses the medical staff. Extensive bruising is a consequence of the fragility of the blood vessels and the resulting strong soaking of surrounding tissues with blood. Such bruising is usually painless and does not interfere with the progress of treatment.
It is always necessary to remember that a fall in an elderly person may be associated with a dynamic disorder of cerebral circulation, a hypertensive crisis or other somatic diseases. Therefore, it is very important not only to diagnose and treat the injury, but also to pay special attention to the treatment of acute somatic illness that led to the injury. It is imperative to measure the victim’s blood pressure and find out if there are any symptoms of a concussion, which is possible if a fall occurs.
The healing of fractures in the elderly occurs somewhat more slowly, but it still occurs, but the resulting callus has all the characteristics of an elderly bone; first of all, it is mechanically very weak. This is associated with frequent confusion in the area of the healing fracture, which forces an increase in the time of immobilization of the fracture in the elderly. However, under favorable conditions, callus is strong enough to withstand normal age-related loads.
During the treatment of a fracture, various somatic diseases often worsen. They often inhibit fusion, and sometimes interfere with the use of rational methods of treatment. Most often this happens with a fracture of the femoral neck, which is usually subject to surgical treatment - osteosynthesis.
The treatment of fractures in the elderly has its own characteristics. Common features are the more frequent use of conservative treatment methods with the use of drugs that stimulate osteogenesis; longer immobilization of the fracture with possible earlier refusal of bed rest (to prevent pneumonia and thromboembolic complications).
After discharge from the hospital or removal of the cast, local and general coordination of movements in an elderly person is impaired for a long time; it may fall again, which explains the increased incidence of recurrent fractures in older people.
The duration of plaster immobilization is 6-8 weeks. Occasionally, for comminuted fractures, fixation with knitting needles and a plaster cast is used. 3-4 days after applying the plaster, movements in all joints of the fingers are required, and after its removal, development of movements in the wrist joint (flexion and extension), warm baths, semi-alcoholic compresses at night for pain, analgesics. All pathological symptoms completely disappear 2-3 months after removing the plaster, and the patient must actively use his hand, since otherwise osteoporosis of the bones of the forearm and hand will persist, which poses the risk of repeated fractures. Humeral neck fractures occur when falling on an outstretched arm. They are characterized by complaints of pain in the shoulder joint. The function of the hand (especially with impacted fractures) is slightly impaired. In case of a non-impacted fracture with displacement of fragments, you can feel with your hand or listen with a phonendoscope mounted on the head of the humerus, bone crepitus with small movements. sore shoulder. 3-4 days after the fracture, a bruise appears over the entire surface of the shoulder, and then the elbow, which does not interfere with treatment. After diagnosing the fracture and assessing the general condition of the victim, he is administered analgesics according to indications, and a plaster splint or ladder splint is applied from the healthy scapula to the wrist joint with a bolster in the axillary region. The hand is suspended on a scarf. It is better to deliver an elderly person to a traumatologist in a lying position, accompanied by a paramedic.
Treatment usually consists of plaster immobilization for 4-7 days. Then, in the absence of a pain reaction, the plaster is removed and outpatient physical therapy is carried out according to a special course. Outside of class, the hand is placed on a scarf with a bolster in the armpit area. Hand function is restored 3-4 months after the fracture. Active work with this arm is a good prevention of osteoporosis. Massage and physiotherapy, as a rule, are not necessary, except in cases where serious atrophy of the shoulder girdle muscles develops.
Cervical and pertrochanteric femoral fractures (Fig. 3) occur when falling on the side, on the greater trochanter area. A fracture in the pertrochanteric region is reserved for older people (over 70 years old). The symptoms of these injuries are similar - pain in the groin, aggravated by moving the leg, its shortening and external rotation.
After diagnosis, assessment of the general condition, and use (according to indications) of analgesics, transport immobilization is carried out with rear or 2 lateral plaster splints (from the toes to the waist or armpit), a scalene splint or an improvised splint. The victim is sent to the hospital on a rigid stretcher with the obligatory accompaniment of a medical worker for the prevention and treatment of possible unwanted cardiovascular and mental reactions (fainting, collapse) along the way.
Treatment of these fractures is difficult and lengthy; it is carried out in a hospital for 1 - 3 months. If the femoral neck is fractured and there are no somatic contraindications, osteosynthesis of the fracture or replacement of the femoral head with a metal endoprosthesis is indicated. For severe somatic diseases, forced conservative treatment is used - patients start using crutches early and, if possible, learn to walk. In this case, a false joint of the femoral neck may develop, which does not always cause pain and serves as an indication for surgical treatment. We saw many patients (mostly malnourished) who moved with this complication using a stick.
For pertrochanteric fractures, skeletal traction or surgical treatment - osteosynthesis - is used. After the course of treatment, patients are forced to walk on crutches without putting weight on their legs for 2-3 months. After discharge, home care from relatives is of paramount importance and they should be instructed accordingly. The bed should be flat (non-spring mesh) and not low so that it is comfortable to get up. It is advisable to make a holder or stick with a loop for your hands above the bed to make getting up easier. The rugs need to be removed; varnished floors are undesirable (risk of slipping). At first, patients should be taught to walk on crutches (with or without weight bearing on the sore leg - as recommended by the doctor), and then only belayed. If the patient is physically able to use crutches and has mastered them, then “chaining” him to a bed or chair is highly undesirable. On the contrary, the early development of coordination of the walking stereotype serves as a prevention of repeated falls. You can start walking with a stick on the recommendation of a doctor. Physiotherapy is not necessary; Massage of the gluteal region and thighs can be useful.
Patients with suspected spinal fractures are sent to the hospital on a rigid stretcher. Treatment consists of unloading the spine, i.e., bed rest. Most often, no straps or bolsters are used (under the fracture area). On the contrary, in the absence of pain, patients are allowed to turn around (this is important for the prevention of pneumonia), massage and physical therapy are performed. You are allowed to get up and sit down after an average of 1 -1.5 months. This more active than usual treatment regimen is aimed at preventing osteoporosis, which quickly begins to progress in an elderly person who is immobilized, particularly without walking. After discharge, most patients are prescribed a soft Leningrad-type corset for 2-4 months. Massage and treatment of osteochondrosis, if it existed before the injury or developed after it, is repeated 2-3 times a year. As a rule, with proper treatment, spinal fractures heal without consequences.
To the above, we add that for the treatment of fractures in elderly victims, an active motor regimen is extremely important: it is necessary to start physical therapy early, the patient should get up as early as possible and lead an active lifestyle after discharge. All this is important for the prevention of osteoporosis and recurrent fractures, as well as for preventing the exacerbation or occurrence of somatic diseases. After discharge, all elderly patients are subject to dispensary registration. Its purpose is periodic massage, physical therapy, identification and treatment of other diseases. During this period, the use of anabolic steroids (nerabol, retabolil, nerabolil) is indicated - drugs that stimulate callus formation and prevent the development of post-traumatic osteoporosis. Food should be high in calories, but without excess fat and sugar. Proteins are useful in the form of cottage cheese, cheese, milk, jelly, and fish. Fresh vegetables and fruits are very useful. There is no need to take egg shells, lime, or calcium.
The best prevention of fractures is leading an active, active life with feasible physical activity. A sudden transition to complete rest (which sometimes happens after retirement) is very harmful. Full active treatment of fractures is the best prevention of their recurrence in the future.
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A hip fracture in old age is a serious problem, since the rehabilitation period in older people is prolonged, and disability often occurs.
The hip joint is one of the largest joints of the human skeleton, which bears the greatest load. When injured, the femur, adjacent muscles and blood vessels supplying blood to the hip joint are damaged. The latter causes tissue death and further resorption. There is a risk of non-union of bone tissue, which prevents a person from moving.
The root cause of a hip fracture in older people is the body falling to one side and injuring the joint.
Predisposing factors contributing to hip fracture in old age include:
Third-party factors: road traffic accident, work-related and domestic injuries, attacks by other persons or animals.
Typical symptoms of a hip fracture in older people are as follows:
In old age, when a femoral neck is fractured, swelling of the damaged area rarely occurs; a subcutaneous hematoma does not form.
To make a correct diagnosis, an x-ray of the hip joint is taken, which will determine the presence and complexity of the fracture, its type (with or without displacement). If additional confirmation of the diagnosis is required, a CT scan of the hip joint is prescribed.
The treatment for a hip fracture in older adults depends on the severity of the injury. This is a serious injury in any case, but some fractures heal faster, while others have a long recovery period and dangerous complications.
Fractures of the femoral neck can be closed or open, the former more often occur in older people, as well as with displacement (deviation of bone fragments from the correct axis) and without it.
Fractures are also distinguished by their location:
The difference in fracture is based on the angle of the bone break line: the first degree is characterized by an angle of up to 30°, the second – from 30 to 50°, and the third – more than 50°. The more horizontal the fracture line is, the faster and easier the broken bone will heal. Therefore, with the third degree, fracture healing often does not occur.
Displaced femoral neck fractures are also divided into types:
Displaced femoral neck fractures are characterized by acute pain and bone deformation. Such a fracture is dangerous due to hemorrhage into the soft tissues of the thigh. In this case, urgent surgical intervention is performed and the patient faces a long and difficult recovery period.
In most cases, a hip fracture in older people is eliminated through surgery, during which the bone fragments are fixed and the recovery process is accelerated.
The patient is offered three options for surgical intervention:
Since older people often develop age-related osteoporosis, the endoprosthesis is secured using polymer cement, which eliminates the penetration of artificial materials into the bone tissue of the hip and provides better fixation of the device. If an elderly person’s bones are in normal condition, then an implant with a porous surface is installed. So that over time the bone tissue grows into it, the structure is fixed in the thigh. In this case, additional fixation with cement is not required.
The recovery period after surgery in old age is about 2 months. Then exercise therapy, massage and physiotherapy are prescribed. People return to walking independently (without crutches) only after 4–6 months.
A high-quality operation and proper care for the patient will ensure a speedy recovery and will allow you to live for many more years in an active state.
There are contraindications in which surgical intervention is not indicated. These include mental illnesses (Alzheimer's disease, senile insanity, etc.), severe pathologies of internal organs, and also if a person has lost the ability to move independently even before injury (stroke, heart attack, etc.).
In addition, the cost of the operation is quite high, so many patients refuse the intervention, and therapy is carried out using conservative methods.
If surgery is not envisaged for a hip fracture, but the person is active, then 2 treatment options are offered:
In any case, the doctor gives the patient’s relatives recommendations on what kind of care should be provided and what movements the patient can make.
It is advisable to purchase a multifunctional bed with an anti-decubitus mattress. If there is no such equipment, then a regular bed is prepared. To do this, install a high mattress with increased density and equip it with a structure called “Balkan frame”. This allows the patient to sit and rise independently. As an option, you can attach a thick rope or a long folded cloth that imitates reins to the headboard of the bed, which is at the person’s feet.
A hip fracture in old age can have serious consequences, so it is important to know how to prevent them.
For better fusion and strengthening of the bones of the femoral neck, the diet of the patient (and any elderly person) should include a sufficient amount of calcium-containing foods. It is also additionally recommended to take calcium supplements as prescribed by your doctor.
To speed up recovery after a fracture in older people, the following traditional medicines are used:
• a lotion of grated horseradish root brewed with boiling water will help bones heal faster;
• creams containing snake or bee venoms will restore blood circulation to the damaged joint;
• ointment based on serum and mumiyo.
There are many folk recipes offered, but you need to remember that they are only auxiliary.
How long it will take to treat a hip fracture in older people without surgery, and the recovery time, largely depend not only on the care, but also on the person’s mood and his desire to recover faster. To do this, doctors and relatives must convey to the patient positive observations about the change in his condition. While in a hospital or home care, it is necessary to organize proper leisure time for the patient. For example:
All this will help prevent psycho-emotional disorders and depressive mood.
According to medical statistics, the life prognosis of elderly people with a hip fracture is disappointing. A third of bedridden patients die within the first year after injury. Therefore, it is extremely important to follow the recommendations of specialists and take everything necessary to restore a person’s health.
When a hip fracture occurs in older people, the recovery time without surgery depends on many factors. Much depends on the general condition of the patient, the presence of concomitant diseases, which are always present in older people, the treatment provided to the person and on the implementation of medical recommendations during the rehabilitation period.
The hip joint is the largest of all the joints in the body. It has the shape of a ball and includes the acetabulum and the head. There are a large number of ligaments and muscle tissue located around the joint. In the case of a hip fracture, the integrity of the femoral head or neck may be compromised. The latter type of injury is quite common and often occurs in elderly patients.
Hip fractures are diagnosed more often in older people than in younger patients. The bones of elderly patients become less strong and can easily break even from minimal stress. A hip fracture in old age is very difficult to treat, and sometimes has no effect at all.
The femoral neck most often breaks in women of retirement age during menopause. At this time, calcium salts are washed out of their body, especially if the person suffers from osteoporosis. A hip fracture in old age often occurs due to the fact that a person has diabetes mellitus, which leads to obesity, as well as when there is a violation of the patency of blood vessels in the legs, leading to swelling and a decrease in motor activity. A factor for a fracture of the head or neck may be poor vision, because a person who sees poorly can stumble and get injured.
A hip fracture in old age often occurs due to road accidents, during a fall from a certain (not always great) height, due to inattention at home and at potentially dangerous work.
A hip fracture in old age is always a dangerous problem, but some types are treated faster, while recovery from others requires a long course of rehabilitation, and complications often arise. A hip fracture in older people can be closed or open, with the predominance of the second type. When there is an open fracture of the femoral neck, the integrity of the skin is damaged, there is heavy bleeding, and microorganisms from the external environment can enter the wound, which leads to serious complications.
If, during a fracture of the femoral neck, bone fragments deviate from the anatomical axis, then a displacement injury occurs. Such a femoral injury is more dangerous, since displaced fragments tear ligaments, muscle tissue, damage blood vessels and often the skin. Often, with displaced fractures, treatment without surgery is impossible, and surgical intervention in elderly patients has many risks that are associated with the administration of anesthesia.
To choose the optimal treatment for a hip fracture, the doctor pays attention to exactly how the fracture line runs. The location of the damage may indicate that the bone is broken in one of the following types:
The most dangerous is a subcapital fracture of the femur in older people, as it often leads to aseptic necrosis and heals poorly. The severity and symptoms also depend on the angle at which the fault is located:
The shallower the angle of the fracture line, the easier the symptoms and treatment of the injury, and the greater the chance that the bone will heal quickly and correctly.
Undoubtedly, damage to any bone in the hip is very painful, but in addition to severe pain, it also has other symptoms. Signs of a fracture in older people are as follows:
The symptoms of injury end there. As a rule, when damage occurs in elderly people, there is no swelling of the tissues and the occurrence of a subcutaneous hematoma.
Anyone with an elderly woman living near them should know what to do if such damage occurs. If a fracture of the femoral neck occurs, the witness of the injury should first call an ambulance, and then provide the victim with first aid. The victim lies with his back on a hard surface and takes a painkiller, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. If a person is unconscious, he should administer the medicine intramuscularly.
This should be followed by immobilization of the injured limb. It is best to fix the leg starting from the heel, but if there is nothing suitable in size, you can start fixing it from the knee. The splint must be wrapped on the inside of the leg with a bandage, thin towel or torn sheet, ending at the groin area, and on the inside of the limb the splint must reach the victim’s waist.
If material for a splint is not available, it is necessary to wrap the injured leg to a healthy limb, and the wrapping should be tight so that the injured leg cannot move during transportation.
If an elderly person, after a fall, experiences any symptoms similar to those described above, he should be taken to a trauma center for a detailed examination, diagnosis and treatment.
The doctor may suspect the presence of an injury if he asks the patient to lie down on the couch, bend his knees and raise the heel of the injured limb. A patient with a hip fracture will not be able to do this. Also, the painful syndrome in the groin and hip joint intensifies when the doctor taps the heel. In addition, the doctor observes that the injured leg is shorter than the healthy one, which also indicates this damage. If an elderly person has a fracture with displacement of bone fragments, this leads to the fact that the foot turns inward and the patient cannot turn it back with his own efforts. By external rotation, the doctor can determine the type of fracture.
Although these clinical signs provide the doctor with enough information about the type of injury, relying only on them, it is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis. In order to be absolutely sure of his speculations about the fracture, the doctor sends the patient for an X-ray examination. The image clearly shows the type of injury, the angle of the fracture line, and the presence or absence of displacement of bone fragments. If it is necessary to examine the ligamentous apparatus, joint capsule, blood vessels and nerve processes, the patient is prescribed a computer or magnetic resonance imaging scan.
Based on the data obtained, the doctor makes a diagnosis and refers him for treatment to the orthopedic or surgical department, where the attending physician decides whether surgery is needed for a hip fracture or whether conservative treatment can be pursued.
When a femoral neck fracture occurs, surgery is necessary when the fragments are displaced or if manual reduction is not possible. Undoubtedly, performing surgery in old age is very risky, so doctors weigh the benefits and potential risks of surgery and make decisions about treatment.
During the operation, the doctor connects the bone fragments with titanium screws. After surgery, a femoral neck fracture heals faster, but if an elderly person has serious diseases of the cardiovascular system, hematopoietic disorders, or suffers from senile insanity, then the operation cannot be performed. In this case, a conservative method of therapy is prescribed, which consists of wearing a plaster cast, using anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs, painkillers and vitamin complexes. Sometimes, for the treatment of fractures, as an addition to the main therapy, folk remedies can be used to help relieve the symptoms of injury.
After the patient’s condition normalizes, he is sent home, where he continues to be treated, following medical recommendations. Treatment at home for a hip fracture in older people should be carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor and periodic X-ray examinations. How long elderly patients live after receiving such an injury depends on how clearly they do everything the doctor says.
If a hip fracture occurs, treatment at home will take a long time and requires considerable responsibility from the patient’s relatives. Since he himself will adhere to bed rest, those who are nearby should take care of his hygiene by wiping the folds of his skin, using wet wipes and special detergents. The patient will need help with combing his hair, brushing his teeth, changing diapers for adults, and also performing intimate hygiene.
Since a person spends a lot of time in the same position, it is necessary to ensure the prevention of bedsores by turning the patient on different sides, helping him to sit down with the help of belts attached to the headboard. It would be a good idea to invite a massage therapist who will help the muscle tissue stay in good shape and prevent the legs from atrophying. In addition, the patient must perform breathing exercises, which will protect against complications such as pneumonia. It often occurs due to prolonged forced lying down.
The period of complete recovery after a fracture, if surgery was not performed, can vary from six months to eight months. If an elderly patient does not give up on himself and tries in every way to recover, then recovery takes less time.
According to statistics, a shoulder fracture in an elderly person occurs in four percent of cases of such injury. The most susceptible in this case are people over sixty years of age.
Taking into account the age characteristics of the body, the location and symptomatic signs of damage to the humerus, after an initial examination and diagnosis, the specialist makes a decision regarding the most effective method of treatment. That is why methods for restoring bone integrity differ depending on the patient’s age.
The main reason for the prevalence of the above injury is that, starting from the age of forty, the human body is less and less successful in coping with regenerative functions. Thus, the bone structure becomes less elastic, and therefore more susceptible to damage, even the most minor.
The fragility of the skeletal system in elderly patients explains the weakening of the musculoskeletal system. This has a significant impact on the speed of healing and restoration of the body after such injuries.
The mechanism by which a shoulder fracture may occur in old age may be related to the following factors:
It should be noted that for the climatic period, the most fragile places are located in the area where the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints are located. The presence or absence of displaced bone fragments allows the doctor to determine the severity of the injury.
The above injury to the humerus is distinguished not only by specially prescribed treatment, but also by a special balanced diet and the use of effective rehabilitation procedures for a quick recovery. The video in this article shows that nutrition contributes to the success of treatment.
First of all, the patient’s diet must contain foods with a large amount of protein (for example, beef). In addition, we must not forget about carbohydrates, which should be consumed in quantities of at least two hundred grams per day.
At the same time, it is recommended to reduce as much as possible the inclusion of those foods that contain fats of animal origin (their consumption leads to an increase in constipation). As an alternative, experts advise paying more attention to fiber-rich vegetables.
Rather, the integrity of the humerus, like any other in the human body, will be restored, thanks to products that are sources of the microelement Calcium. During the rehabilitation period, injured elderly patients should also not delay replenishing vitamins C, D and B for speedy healing.
Doctors recommend taking the above vitamins in sufficiently large doses to effectively inhibit osteogenesis.
The treatment instruction concerns the important role of not only correctly selected treatment, but also compliance with the requirements for rehabilitation procedures. The main goal is to restore function to an upper limb that has been damaged and immobilized for a long time. Thus, we are talking about developing the injured hand in all its areas.
Once the period of complete immobilization of the upper limb comes to an end, the patient should actively engage in rehabilitation. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that all rehabilitation procedures recommended by modern science must be carried out in trauma hospitals, special clinics or points.
The following are considered the most effective today:
It is carried out to improve blood circulation and warm up the muscles. It is not recommended to apply intense pressure to the tissue due to the risk of repeated pain.
As lymph and blood begin to move better, hematomas and swelling may resolve.
Thus, inflammatory processes are prevented and blood flow improves.
The exercises used are aimed at activating muscles that have remained immobilized for a long period and could lose function.
No less effective are specially equipped sanatoriums, where each doctor specializes in helping patients with various injuries and fractures of the musculoskeletal system. Here they can actively engage in the whole range of measures aimed at faster fusion of the bony humeral elements.
It should be noted that in case of the above damage, not only physical rehabilitation is considered important, but also social rehabilitation. The patient’s internal psychological state has a direct impact on the duration of the rehabilitation period.
In most cases, we are talking about two to three months, provided that the prescriptions and recommendations of the treating specialists are followed. Constant adherence to bed rest leads to bad mood and depression, which is why patients need not only qualified medical care, but also support from family and friends.
Just like the treatment of shoulder fractures in older people, recovery from such an injury turns out to be more difficult and prolonged in older patients. In this case, more attention is required for victims who are over fifty years old, since receiving the above-mentioned damage to the integrity of the humerus is dangerous due to the possibility of death.
The main reason for the severe form of such a fracture is the presence of age-related features of the development and functioning of the body:
It must be emphasized that the prognosis provided for a fracture of the humerus in the elderly largely depends on the physical and mental state of the patients. The obligation to keep the injured upper limb motionless and completely immobilized is accompanied by the need to adhere to strict bed rest.
Due to the lack of movement in the body, the immune system becomes weaker, affecting not only the general condition of the patient, but also the risk of contracting various related health problems.
Due to a significant weakening of a person’s immune system, chronic diseases that were in remission before the injury may worsen. Due to possible serious complications, the above injury should be treated under regular specialist supervision.
One of the most serious consequences of immobility is the development of pulmonary edema. The cost of treatment and rehabilitation will be higher if blood clots appear in the patient’s body. It is in this case that prolonged severe injury can lead to death.
In addition, among the possible consequences of the resulting fracture are the following:
Consequences in the patient’s body can occur not only during the first few hours after injury to the humerus, but also during treatment and rehabilitation. To this end, in modern medicine, patients need to be constantly checked by doctors and undergo special diagnostic examinations to minimize the appearance and development of possible negative consequences.