How long it will take for the hip fracture to cure completely? What are food ite!

How long it will take for the hip fracture to cure completely? What are food items v take to strengthen bones?

The goal of treatment for hip fractures is to allow you to do, without pain, most of the things you did before your fracture. The most common and almost always the best treatment for a hip fracture is surgery. Surgery helps ensure that the bones are lined up to heal correctly.

Once your hip fracture is diagnosed, you may be placed in gentle skin traction until surgery.7 Skin traction attaches a light weight to your leg using tape, straps, or a special boot, and this weight provides a constant pull on your leg. The idea is to gently separate the fracture site to decrease pain and muscle spasm. It may also help keep your fractured bone in place until surgery.

Surgery is done as soon as possible after a diagnosis of hip fracture, usually within 24 hours. However, in some cases, surgery may be delayed for 1 to 2 days for treatment of other medical problems (such as dehydration) to help reduce complications from surgery.8, 9

There are different types of surgery for hip fractures, depending on the location of the break, the position of the bone fragments (degree of displacement), and your age. Surgery for a hip fracture may include one of the following:

Internal fixation. Internal fixation involves stabilizing broken bones with surgical screws, rods, pins, or plates. This type of surgery is usually used in people who have fractures in which the bones can be properly aligned.
Arthroplasty. Arthroplasty involves replacing part or all of the joint with artificial (usually metal) parts. A partial hip replacement may be done to replace the broken upper part of the thighbone (femur) with artificial parts. In some cases a total hip replacement can be done if the hip joint area was already damaged before the fracture by arthritis or an injury and the joint was not functioning correctly. Additionally, arthroplasty is often done for femoral neck fractures when the fractured bones cannot be properly aligned.
Some surgeons are now performing minimally invasive hip replacement surgery. This means they use a smaller incision in order to minimize bleeding, healing time and scar formation. However, there may be a greater chance of complications such as infection, nerve damage, and poor positioning of the hip replacement components.10 The surgery looks promising, but it requires a very skilled and experienced surgeon, and there are few studies comparing it to standard procedures at this time. Until risks and long-term benefits are studied, there may be a risk in choosing a less experienced surgeon to do minimally invasive surgery and leave a smaller scar, instead of an experienced surgeon who will do a standard procedure.11, 12

Reduction (getting the bone lined up correctly) and internal fixation (stabilizing broken bones) often are done on younger, active people, while arthroplasty-hip replacement surgery-often is done on older, less active adults. In deciding what method to use for repairing a hip fracture, your surgeon will consider the type of fracture, your age and activity level, and also the possible trade-offs. Research on displaced hip fractures (where the bones are not aligned) shows that, in the long term, total hip replacements may need to be redone less often, but there is also more time in surgery, a greater chance of infection, and possibly a greater chance of death.13

Surgery usually is the most effective treatment for a hip fracture, although in most cases you may not regain all of the mobility that you had before the hip fracture. In general, if you were healthy and active before the fracture, then you will recover faster after surgery than a person who was not. If you have other health problems and have not stayed active, there is a greater chance of complications after surgery.

In rare cases, surgery is not done-for example, in people who are at high risk for complications during or after surgery and who may not benefit significantly from surgery, such as those who were unable to walk before the hip fracture and who have minimal pain. In these cases, pain relievers are given.14

What to expect after surgery
Right after surgery for a hip fracture, you will have medicine to control pain and perhaps medicine to prevent blood clots (anticoagulants). You may have a catheter so you don't have to get out of bed to urinate. You may also have a compression pump or compression stocking on your leg, which squeezes your leg to keep the blood circulating and to help prevent blood clots, and a cushion between your legs to keep your hip in the correct position. It is not unusual to have an upset stomach or feel constipated, so talk with your doctor or nurse if you don't feel well.

Your health professional may teach you to do simple breathing exercises to help prevent congestion in your lungs while your activity level is decreased. You may also learn to move your feet up and down to flex your muscles and keep your blood circulating, and begin to learn about how to keep your hip in the right position while you move in bed and get out of bed.

It is very important to start moving around soon after surgery. This will speed recovery and reduce complications. On the first day after surgery, you will usually be moved out of bed into a chair for a short time, and you will probably begin light exercises on the second day after surgery.

You usually will stay in the hospital for about a week after surgery. Often, you may be transferred to an extended-care facility for additional rehabilitation before going home and so that help is available for daily activities, such as showering. You will probably need a walking aid-a walker, cane, or crutches-for several months, and full recovery may take up to a year.
There are many issues to consider after hip surgery. Older adults often need extensive care, including physical therapy and help with cooking, taking medicine, and personal care. Anticoagulant medications are prescribed to reduce the risk of blood clots and associated stroke, pulmonary embolism, or thrombophlebitis. You will probably keep taking this medicine until you are walking frequently and well, often at least 3 weeks.

After hip fracture surgery, your doctor will encourage you to participate in a rehabilitation program. Recent research shows that 6 months of outpatient rehabilitation that includes strength training can improve quality of life and decrease disability.15 Following a rehabilitation program is very important; it will speed recovery and allow you to return to daily activities sooner.

Prevention
There are steps you can take to help prevent a hip fracture.

Keep your bones strong:

Eating a nutritious diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D, which helps your body absorb calcium, can help strengthen your bones.

The recommended daily calcium intake for adult men and women is between 1,000 and 1,200 mg per day.2 All women older than 65, as well as women older than 51 who are not taking estrogen replacement therapy, need 1,500 mg of calcium each day.16 Women who do not get this amount of calcium from food each day may take calcium supplements. Calcium is found in dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt; dark green, leafy vegetables such as broccoli; and other foods.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends 400 to 800 IU of Vitamin D per day. Do not take more than 800 IU per day unless your doctor prescribes it, since large doses of vitamin D may be harmful.2 You can get the amount of vitamin D you need each day if you drink at least one glass of milk or eat other dairy products that have vitamin D added (fortified). You also will get the amount of vitamin D you need if you are outside in sunlight for at least 15 minutes each day.
Recent studies show that calcium and vitamin D supplements will not prevent fractures in people who already have risks of fracture such as low body weight or previous fractures.17, 18 However, getting enough calcium and vitamin D over your lifetime will help you have stronger bones as you age.

Exercising and staying active help maintain bone strength. Weight-bearing exercises such as walking, jogging, and light weight training help to minimize bone loss. Talk to your doctor about an exercise program that is right for you. Begin slowly, especially if you have been inactive.

A recent study revealed that moderate physical activity, such as walking, was associated with a substantially lowered number of hip fractures in postmenopausal women.3
Talk to your doctor about taking hormone replacement therapy or other medicines if you are at risk for osteoporosis. Some doctors recommend hormone therapy for osteoporosis, although its risks and benefits should be considered. Other medications such as bisphosphonates, including alendronate (Fosamax) and risedronate (Actonel); raloxifene (Evista); and calcitonin (Calcimar or Miacalcin) are also used to prevent or treat osteoporosis. Studies show that these medicines, the bisphosphonates in particular, significantly reduced the risk of hip fracture in older women with osteoporosis.19 For more information, see the topic Osteoporosis.

Don't drink more than 1 alcoholic drink per day. People who drink more than this may be at higher risk for osteoporosis. Alcohol use also increases your risk of falling and breaking a bone.
Don't smoke. Smoking puts you at a higher risk for developing osteoporosis and increases the rate of bone thinning once it starts.

Avoid falls:

Almost all hip fractures happen because of a fall. Things that increase your chance of falling include:

Having poor balance and coordination.
Having weakness in one or both legs.
Using certain medications that may cause sleepiness, weakness, or dizziness.
Having vision problems.
Drinking too much alcohol.
Feeling confused or having impaired reasoning (caused by age or conditions such as dementia).
You can reduce your risk for falls by:

Removing anything in your house that may cause you to fall. Household hazards that can cause falls include slippery floors, cords, poor lighting, cluttered walkways, furniture placement that does not allow a clear pathway for walking, and throw rugs.
Using nonslip mats and grab bars in the bathtub and shower.
Making sure stairways have handrails; having rails on both sides of the stairs is best.
Making sure you have enough light to see obstacles or pets as you move around your home.
Exercising to help maintain strength and balance.
Taking medications only as directed and periodically reviewing medications with your primary care doctor, especially if you have more than one health professional. Some medications, such as sleeping pills or pain relievers, can increase your risk of falling.
Wearing low-heeled shoes that fit well.
Using walking aids correctly.


Hip protectors:

Hip protectors look like a girdle or underwear with pads on both hips to help reduce the force of a fall. Recent studies show that external hip protectors reduced hip fractures by 54% when used by people age 70 or older who had one or more risk factors for hip fracture. While hip protectors were effective in reducing the number of hip fractures, many people in the study refused to wear them.20 Another study concluded that hip protectors did not prevent hip fractures in a fall.21 Hip protectors may be most useful for people in nursing homes or other institutions.