Any bone takes a few months to fully heal, but a hip fracture can take more time to heal than the average bone break.
The long recovery process for a hip fracture affects not only your mobility but your ability to earn a living and care for your family. A Los Angeles serious injury lawyer at Salamati Law Firm understands the difficulty you face and can help you receive the compensation you deserve for your injury.
How long for a hip fracture to heal?
How long it takes for a hip fracture to heal depends on the individual and the specifics of the injury. Recovery factors include the victim’s age, their overall health, and how badly their hip was broken. Where the hip breaks is a factor. The majority of hip fractures occur where the hip meets the upper leg.
Just a few decades ago, a hip fracture in an elderly person usually signaled the start of a decline that would end in death. Since the development of hip replacement surgery, a broken hip is no longer necessarily as dire in an older person as it once was. Still, approximately one-fourth of all elderly hip fracture victims will succumb within one year.
Elderly people will take longer to recuperate from a hip fracture than their younger counterparts. They are also at greater risk for hip fractures than younger people, because bones become more brittle with age. Bone density decreases as calcium is lost, a process that occurs over time. Those with osteoporosis, or weakness of the bones, are particularly vulnerable.
On average, a hip fracture takes at least four weeks to heal. That is a best-case scenario. Hip fractures often take three months or more to heal, and full recovery may not take place for a year or more.
How long does a hip avulsion fracture take to heal?
An avulsion fracture on the hip takes place when a small piece of bone attached to a ligament or tendon is pulled away from the larger bone.
Younger people, especially athletes, are more likely to experience a hip avulsion fracture. Most of these fractures do not require surgery. Expect a few weeks of using crutches if diagnosed with a hip avulsion fracture. The bone fragments should heal on their own.
However, there are situations in which these bone parts do not fuse together, and surgical intervention is required.
Hip fracture causes
Falls are the primary cause of hip fractures, which are among the serious injuries that may happen in a slip and fall accident.
Property owners are required to maintain their premises in a safe manner. If they fail to do so and a visitor is harmed, they may be held liable for the person’s injuries.
Motor vehicle accidents are another prime cause of hip fractures, especially in younger people. Additionally, athletic endeavors may result in hip fractures.
A broken hip is extraordinarily painful. The person falling knows immediately that they are seriously hurt. They cannot put any weight on the leg on the side of the fractured hip.
A hip fracture often results in long-term disability. Even after recovery, the leg on the affected side may turn out shorter than the other. In addition to a hip fracture, an accident victim may experience broken bones and other injuries.
Hip fracture treatment and recovery
Hip fractures are usually repaired surgically, with either a partial or total hip replacement. Following the surgery, the patient goes through months of physical therapy. Complications from hip surgery are not unusual.
If the fracture is slight, as with a stress fracture, surgery may not prove necessary. Instead, the patient uses crutches and moderates their activity level until healing is complete.
Elderly people and those with some underlying medical conditions may not be good candidates for surgery.
Contact a Los Angeles Serious Injury Lawyer
How long does it take to heal a fractured hip? The answer is that it will take at least a month, but could be much longer for a full recovery. For some, long-term and even permanent disability is a possibility. If you or a loved one suffered a fractured hip because of another party’s negligence, the services of an experienced Los Angeles Slip and Fall Lawyer at Salamati Law Firm can help put you in the best position to recover full and fair compensation. Contact us today to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation. Most cases are settled, but we will pursue litigation if the insurance company fails to agree to a reasonable settlement. There are never any attorney fees unless you receive compensation. Se Habla Espanol.
