Letters3 January 2012Hip Fracture: A Complex Illness Among Complex PatientsWilliam W. Hung, MD and R. Sean Morrison, MDWilliam W. Hung, MDFrom James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029.Search for more papers by this author and R. Sean Morrison, MDFrom James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-156-1-201201030-00028 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:Although the vast majority of hip fracture patients are treated surgically, approximately 6% do not receive surgery (1). There are a paucity of data to guide treatment decisions in this population, and well-designed prospective studies are needed. In the absence of such data, extrapolation from studies that have used regional techniques (for example, femoral nerve blocks) before and after surgical repair suggests that they are viable and effective options for reducing systemic opioid requirements and improving the management of hip fracture pain (2). A more definitive study on efficacy is currently under way. Nevertheless, pain control in patients ...