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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staff
Often your doctor can determine that you have a hip fracture based on your symptoms and by observing the abnormal position of your hip and leg. An X-ray usually will confirm that you have a fracture and show exactly where the fracture is on your bone.
If your X-ray doesn't show a fracture but you still have hip pain, your doctor may order a CT or an MRI scan to look for a small hairline fracture.
Most hip fractures occur in one of two locations along your femur, the long bone that extends from your pelvis to your knee:
- The femoral neck. The femoral neck is located in the upper portion of your femur, just below its head, which is the ball part of the ball-and-socket joint.
- The intertrochanteric region. This region is a little farther down from the actual hip joint, in the portion of your upper femur that juts outward.
References
- Miller RR, et al. Hip fractures. Halter JB, et al. In: Hazzard's Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. 6th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=540. Accessed Jan. 18, 2012.
- Fiechtl JF, et al. Femur and hip. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..X0001-1--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed Jan. 18, 2012.
- Burroughs KE, et al. Hip fractures in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 18, 2012.
- Hip fractures among older adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adulthipfx.html. Accessed Jan. 18, 2012.
- Hip fractures. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00392. Accessed Jan. 18, 2012.
- Lewiecki EM. Prevention of osteoporosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 19, 2012.
- Morrison RS, et al. Medical consultation for patients with hip fracture. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 19, 2012.
- Rosen HN. Bisphosphonates in the management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 19, 2012.
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