Management of hip fractures in the elderly

A fracture of the proximal femur (or hip fracture) is a devastating injury to an elderly patient. Nearly all patients require surgery as part of their treatment but their care necessitates complex multidisciplinary involvement. In the last few years there have been a number of initiatives to help improve care for this challenging patient group, as well as establishment of National Hip Fracture Databases, to allow us to audit the care provided. With this focus we have seen both mortality and length of stay decrease. The aim of this article is to summarize the current recommendations for patients who suffer a hip fracture.