How serious is a broken femur in the elderly?
A femur break is a serious break at any age but it can be deadly to seniors that are 65 years and older. The femur is the longest bone in the body. Femur breaks/fractures are most likely at the hip but in some cases can be at the lower extremities.
Can a 90 year old recover from a broken femur?
Conclusion: Surgery is the treatment of choice for patients aged 90 years and older with proximal femoral fracture. However, they have a lower rate of regaining pre-injury walking ability and a higher in-hospital death rate than younger patients.
What happens when an old person breaks their femur?
Combined with the trauma of a fracture and surgery, an existing health condition may significantly increase the risk of death. Death after a hip fracture may also be related to additional complications of the fracture, such as infections, internal bleeding, stroke or heart failure.
How long does it take for a femur to heal in the elderly?
The majority of people who suffer a femur fracture will need specialized treatment in a skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility. Full recovery from a femur fracture can take anywhere from 12 weeks to 12 months.
How serious is breaking your femur?
A fractured femur is an emergency that can in some cases be life threatening. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have any of these life-threatening symptoms including: Confusion or loss of consciousness for even a brief moment.
What causes a broken femur in an elderly person?
Even a low force incident such as a fall can cause a broken femur in individuals with weak bones. In the elderly, broken femur may be caused by a slip or fall. Most people who receive specialized treatment for a femur fracture are admitted in a long-term nursing or rehabilitation facility.
Is it true that my mother broke her femur?
Yes, my mother broke her femur when she wasn’t at her house, but a cheap trailer…slipped on a scatter rug (a no no for elders). She recovered well, was 79 (that ended her career), went through rehab and then home.
How old do you have to be to break a femur?
A femur break is a serious break at any age but it can be deadly to seniors that are 65 years and older.
What are the side effects of a broken femur?
Surgical complications. Some complications related to surgery include infection and blood clots. Managing a broken femur after surgery Following a femur break, once the bone is set back into its proper place and is stable, your doctor will most likely recommend physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the bone.
How old was my mother when she broke her hip?
As I listened in on the phone — I was in Boston while my siblings were sitting in a rehabilitation facility outside New York — I could feel my anger rising. A week after having a partial hip replacement, our 90-year-old mother with dementia was being talked about as if she were slowing down her own rehabilitation for some self-interested purpose.
Can a 89 year old have a hip fracture?
My 89-year-old mother had had quintuple bypass surgery four years before the hip fracture. She also had/has sciatica. Despite that, after she recovered from her hip fracture, she could climb stairs independently.
Yes, my mother broke her femur when she wasn’t at her house, but a cheap trailer…slipped on a scatter rug (a no no for elders). She recovered well, was 79 (that ended her career), went through rehab and then home.
How to help an elderly person with a broken femur?
Physical therapy is also needed before the elderly person can get back to their feet. So as to avoid such fractures, it is important to try as much as possible to maintain the density of the bones and getting help with rails and walking aids to minimize the occurrence of falls. Acting fast is the best way to handle broken femur elderly.