Abstract
Hip fractures are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly population. The number of hip fractures is set to increase significantly by 2050 as the global population ages. The costs associated with hip fracture patients are significant due to prolonged hospitalisation and rehabilitation.Hip protectors have been advocated as a strategy to reduce the risk of hip fractures in a high-risk population. Evidence suggests that hip protectors are a cost-effective method for reducing the risk of hip fractures. There have, however, been issues with adherence with wearing hip protectors amongst patients and healthcare staff.Despite prevention strategies, many patients continue to present with hip fractures. Many of these patients have cognitive impairment or experience peri-operative delirium. This can cause issues with patients' interference with the operative wound and presents a significant burden to the healthcare team with the need for increased wound monitoring and care in the post-operative period. Applying a well-fitted hip protector provides a substantial additional barrier to protect the surgical wound. Hip fracture surgical wounds can be difficult to manage in these patients and our standard post-operative protocol is to apply compression dressings in this group of patients. We have found that a well-fitted hip protector can provide adequate compression to the surgical site.We describe a brief technical report on a novel use of hip protectors in providing wound security in the agitated patient post-operatively as well as a method of providing compression to the surgical wound site.
Highlights
Hip fractures are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly population
Studies suggest that the use of hip protectors reduce the risk of hip fractures in elderly patients residing in nursing home or residential care settings [2]
Hip protectors are medical devices that were designed to reduce the forces transmitted to the proximal femur following a fall and have been advocated as a strategy to reduce the risk of hip fractures in a high-risk elderly population
Summary
Hip fractures are a significant cause of morbidity and associated mortality in the elderly population. In a cohort of patients frequently presenting with multiple risk factors for wound complications including comorbidities and anticoagulants, non-compliance with post-operative wound care can lead to problems that represent a significant challenge to the orthopaedic surgeon. In addition to their intended function, we describe the novel use of hip protectors in protecting postoperative wounds in an elderly cohort with cognitive impairment. We utilise the hip protectors on patients who present to our institution with a hip fracture and who undergo surgery and have a pre-existing diagnosis of cognitive impairment or prolonged post-operative delirium whose agitated state makes wound management difficult. These issues are manageable until the indication for the hip protector resolves, or the wounds heal
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
