What should I do if I have a hip fracture in my senior years?

  Hip fracture is a high-risk factor for lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and DVT is also one of the complications after hip surgery, which can cause fatal pulmonary embolism in severe cases. Symptoms and signs of DVT should be noted preoperatively, and venous ultrasound screening should be routinely performed. The Guidelines for the Prevention of Major Orthopedic Venous Thromboembolism in China, which have been widely used in the perioperative DVT standardized prophylaxis, including basic prophylaxis, physical prophylaxis and pharmacological prophylaxis, have been proven to be effective in reducing the occurrence of DVT and should be adopted according to the patient’s specific condition.  Preoperative traction treatment of the affected limb, including skin traction and bone traction, is often used to reduce fracture pain and maintain limb length, reducing the difficulty of intraoperative repositioning.  Early surgery (within 24 to 36 hours after injury) should be strived for. Studies by foreign scholars have concluded that postponing surgery (beyond 48 hours) increases the incidence of complications and indirectly increases mortality. Completing a comprehensive preoperative examination, evaluation and consultation and completing surgery on a senior fracture patient within such a limited time frame is a challenge for the majority of medical institutions in China. This health problem is becoming increasingly serious as the incidence of hip fractures is on the rise. Due to the large number of such patients, the Department of Orthopedics at Peking Union Medical College Hospital has established a rational process to minimize preoperative waiting time and examination sessions, so that patients can receive early treatment and obtain the best possible outcome.  Depending on the type and characteristics of the fracture, closed or incisional repositioning can be adopted, but most of them are closed repositioning. Proper repositioning is a prerequisite for effective internal fixation, especially for unstable fractures. Most of the fractures can be repositioned under traction fluoroscopy to achieve the required position. For those who cannot achieve function under closure, dissection should also be reduced during incision, and it is not necessary to pursue complete anatomical repositioning of the fracture block, and it is sufficient to achieve the purpose of maintaining the cervical stem angle and major fracture block alignment. There are a variety of fixation options, including external fixation frames, lateral plate screws, and various intramedullary nailing systems. The design of different fixation devices has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the fixation method that is effective, simple to operate, technically proficient, and less damaging should be selected based on the bone quality, fracture typing, and patient condition, combined with the experience of the operator.  The incidence of intertrochanteric fractures in advanced age increases significantly with the increase in human life expectancy. Early surgical treatment can reduce complications caused by prolonged bed rest, decrease the rate of death and disability, and improve the quality of life. However, perioperative management is complex, and a comprehensive perioperative evaluation and multidisciplinary treatment should be performed. For patients without contraindications to surgery, appropriate surgical and internal fixation methods can be used according to the fracture type and bone quality to improve the success rate of surgery and reduce the incidence of perioperative complications, thus improving the prognosis and quality of life of patients.