When you see an athlete go down with a fractured hip you may think that all they need to do is walk around with a cane and rest for a short while before they get back to what they do best, but in reality they need specialized treatment from an experienced orthopedic surgeon.
One of the rarest injuries we see in modern day sports is the hip fracture, a break in the upper quarter of the femur bone. There is one thing that is for certain, the severity of the break depends on the forces that are involved during the injury. Up until recently we have not witnessed many unwanted hip injuries in the sports world and a recent study even finds that a plant-based diet may help prevent the cause of hip fractures.
What Causes a Hip Fracture?
Hip fractures most commonly occur after a fall or forceful impact to the hip of an individual. We even see that people diagnosed with medical conditions such as osteoporosis, cancer, or stress injuries weaken the bones and make the hip more vulnerable to breaking. Patients in the past have even said that they suffered the injury from standing awkwardly on the leg and twisting. Medical experts also find obesity as one of the culprits due to excessive pressure on the hip bones.
Prevention from a Plant-Based Diet
According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers found a reduced risk in hip fractures after following the diets and hip fracture risks of participants over a 10-year period. They concluded that those who consumed the most vegetables, fruits, and soy products had a 34 percent reduced risk of hip fractures compared to those who consumed the lowest amount of these products.
The authors of the study also made it known that studies in the US and Europe found that a diet with higher fruit vegetable and whole grain consumption improves bone strength and reduces risk of fractures.
Hip Fractures Among Athletes
Recently, Arizona Diamondbacks’ outfielder Cody Ross returned to action after suffering his own hip fracture, sidelining him for nearly 8 months. In August of the 2013 MLB season, Ross stumbled to first base while trying to stop himself and heard a crack in his hip as he went down. Ross ran again for the first time in late February since hip surgery and has played in 19 games so far this season without any pain or aggravation.
This incident actually brings back the memory of the injury that changed the life of super athlete Bo Jackson during an unfortunate hip dislocation and fracture in 1991 on a play where Jackson was dragged down from behind. Jackson retired from the NFL after that incident and underwent hip replacement surgery to return the MLB for a couple more seasons before retiring, not from injury but because he wanted his career to end on his own terms.
Recovery from Hip Fracture Fixation
Recovery from hip fracture fixation varies depending on the severity of injury, while most treated athletes make a full recovery in less than a year but in elderly patients healing may require a full year of rest. To help regain full range of motion, your orthopedic surgeon will include a program of physical therapy and exercises in the weeks and months after hip fracture fixation. Following hip fracture surgery, most patients regain full mobility and independence of their hip as they had before injury. Consult with orthopedic surgeon Dr Ahluwalia in Beverly Hills to discuss your hip fracture recovery plan today.
