[서울와이어 김경원 기자] If the ‘hip joint’ that connects the pelvis and the thighbone is broken, it is more fatal than most cancers. In fact, there is a domestic report that the 5-year mortality rate of hip fractures reaches 45%.
Hwanhee Lee, professor of orthopedic surgery at Daejeon St. Mary’s Hospital, explains the main causes and prevention of hip fractures.
Osteoporosis, the biggest enemy of hip fractures
The hip joint is a strong area that can support up to three times its body weight, but the incidence of fractures increases with age.
In fact, most hip fractures in Korea occur when elderly patients simply fall from a standing position. Other hip fractures account for less than 5% of hip fractures and are mainly caused by traffic accidents or falls from heights in young people.
The reason for the frequent hip fractures due to simple falls in the elderly is simple. This is because most hip fractures in Korea are related to osteoporosis. Assuming that you fall with the same intensity, if you have osteoporosis, your bones will naturally increase.
The problem is that this osteoporosis usually has no symptoms, but is recognized as fractures occur in most cases. For women, the risk of hip fractures doubles every 10 years as the risk of osteoporosis increases after age 50.
Hip fractures triple the risk of secondary fractures
The reason hip fractures are dangerous is that once a fracture occurs, the risk of secondary fractures increases by more than three times. The mortality rate of patients with secondary fractures is much higher than that of the general population.
As a result of domestic studies, the 1-year mortality rate of hip fracture is 15%, the 2-year mortality rate is 25%, and the 5-year mortality rate is 45%. Without surgery, the one-year mortality rate rises to 50%. Since the death rate is higher than any other cancer, it is of utmost importance to prevent hip fractures from occurring.
In the case of a hip fracture, the metabolic function decreases and the risk of various complications increases because the patient is unable to move for a long time due to pain and has to lie in bed. Pneumonia and bedsores, the major causes of death among the elderly, are typical complications.
Check from osteoporosis with a bone density test
To prevent hip fractures, you must first check for osteoporosis. If you are underweight (BMI 18.5 or less), have little activity, smoke or drink a lot, have a history of osteoporosis fractures in your family, take medications such as steroids for a long time, or in early postmenopausal women, check the bone density for osteoporosis. It is good to check whether
In addition, postmenopausal women should also measure bone density and check for osteoporosis. If you have osteoporosis with low bone density, it is better to seek appropriate treatment right away.
How to prevent hip fracture in daily life
Hip fractures can be prevented simply by increasing the amount of physical activity. The bone in our body is not finished and stopped, but the cycle of continuously creating and losing bone cells is repeated.
The more physical activity you do, the more your bones are stimulated to create bones, so you can lower the risk of hip fractures with light aerobic exercise, including walking.
Eating foods that are good for your bones can also help. Calcium and vitamin D intake are especially important. Even if you do not have osteoporosis, regular calcium intake is very important for the prevention of osteoporosis.
Calcium is recommended to be taken at 800 mg per day for adult men, 1000 mg for pre-menopausal women, and 1500 mg after menopause. If you eat three meals a day well, you can meet 500 mg. The rest can be consumed with dairy products, milk, and calcium complexes.
You need at least 800 IU of vitamin D per day. Taking a 30-minute walk three times a week from 10 am to 3 pm when the sunlight is strong can meet the human body’s needs. If this is difficult in reality, it is better to take vitamin D using a supplement.
Strengthening the muscles around the hip joint is also important in preventing hip fractures. A typical example is to raise your leg as much as possible from a sideways position, hold it for 5 to 10 seconds, and then repeat the lowering motion, or stand up and hold a chair and spread your legs as wide as possible to the side.
It is also a good idea to lie on your back with your eyes on the ceiling, bend your knees, push the soles of your feet off the floor, slowly lift your buttocks, hold for 5 to 10 seconds, and then repeat the lowering motion. Also, it is helpful to lie on your back with your knees straight while looking at the ceiling and slowly raise your legs upwards, hold them for 5 to 10 seconds, and then lower them as slowly as possible.
Finally, it is also necessary not to create a situation in which a fracture will occur. Always be careful on slippery floors, turn on the lights and live in a bright environment. It is also a good idea to organize the lines in the house so that you do not trip over.