Hip Fracture

Symptoms

The most common symptom of hip fracture is severe pain in the hip or lower groin. Your leg may be rotated to the outside, feel more comfortable when moved away from your other leg, and be a little shorter than the other leg. You usually can't walk or even put weight on the injured leg. But in rare cases, there may be only thigh or knee pain. Walking may still be possible, although painful, with impacted fractures, where the ball at the top of the thighbone is pushed down onto the rest of the thighbone.

You typically notice symptoms after a fall, but a fracture can also occur without a fall, especially if the bone has been thinned through osteoporosis or other health conditions.

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Author:	Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH	Last Updated: July 9, 2007
Medical Review:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine Kenneth J. Koval, MD - Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Trauma
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