International Journal of Clinical Case Reports, 2025, Vol.15, No.4, 148-158 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/ijccr 149 2 The Current Situation and Postoperative Recovery of Hip Fractures n The Elderly 2.1 Common types and surgical treatment methods of hip fractures in the elderly The most common hip fractures in the elderly are femoral neck fractures and intertrochanteric fractures of the femur. These injuries are mainly caused by low-energy trauma, such as falls, which are related to age-related bone brittleness and osteoporosis. With the global aging of the population, the incidence of such fractures is increasing, becoming a major public health problem (Figure 1) (Alexiou et al., 2018; Lee et al., 2020; Seong et al., 2020) Figure 1 (A) Ankle pumps. Ankle plantar flexion (left) and ankle dorsiflexion (right); (B) Knee-extension strength training. While supine, the patient tightens quadriceps in an attempt to straighten the knee (hold for 5~10 seconds); (C) Straight leg raise. While supine, the patient tightens the quadriceps, flexes the hip and keeps the knee straight while lifting the extremity off the bed (hold for 5~10 seconds), then lowers it slowly (Adopted from Lee et al., 2020) Surgical treatment is a common approach for most elderly patients with hip fractures, with the aim of restoring mobility and reducing complications. The treatment methods include internal fixation, hemihip arthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty. For displaced femoral neck fractures, joint replacement surgery (whether hemihip or total hip) usually enables patients to restore better function and a higher quality of life than internal fixation. It is generally recommended to have the operation as soon as possible, preferably within 48 hours after admission. This can lead to better recovery and reduce adverse outcomes (Pepeters et al., 2016; Alexiou et al., 2018; Seong et al., 2020; Sun et al., 2023). 2.2 Common postoperative health issues and adverse conditions Elderly patients with hip fractures have a higher risk of developing various health problems such as confusion, lung infections, urinary tract infections, blood clots in the legs, and persistent pain after surgery. These problems may significantly prolong the length of hospital stay, increase the possibility of death, and affect the patient's return to the state before injury (Alexiou et al., 2018; Yu and Zheng, 2022; Sun et al., 2023; Tang et al., 2025). For example, blood transfusion during surgery may increase the possibility of postoperative delirium and also hinder functional recovery (Li et al., 2025).
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