Information service to the hospitalised patients and their relatives

The gradual increase in life expectancy on the part of our population has led to an increasing number of elderly people who, as a consequence of accidental falls, suffer the fracture of the neck of the femur.
Every year, over 150 people undergo surgery in our Operative Unit for such lesions which, by themselves, cover about 10% of all surgery needs.
When faced with the fracture of the neck of the femur in an elderly person, the orthopaedic surgeon needs to identify and apply those therapies that, keeping in mind the need for an early healing of the injury, must be easily and rapidly carried out. At the same time, such therapies should foster the most rapid functional rehabilitation.
Obviously, the surgery techniques to be adopted differ according to the localisation and the type of fracture.
However, the treatment can be described as being divided into two large groups: in some cases (intratrochanteric fractures) the stabilisation of the fracture (osteosynthesis) may be advisable, thus preserving the head of the femur. In other cases, the head of the femur is removed and replaced with a prosthesis (femoral neck fractures).
The post-operative course is similar for both groups of patients: in 80% of the cases, walking is possible from the very first few days after the operation.
Deambulation begins during hospitalisation with the support of the Rehabilitation Medicine Service (S.A.M.E.R.) and is continued in the orthopaedic ward for about 5-7 days after the operation.
After this period of time, in the vast majority of cases, patients can return to their homes where they will continue with basic exercises of deambulation, supported by the highly positive effects derived by gradually going back to their habits and by going back to their family environment.
Where necessary, the Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale of Ravenna provides for additional treatment, through the continuation of hospitalisation in some of the local geriatric structures (Residenze Sanitarie Assistenziali), under the authorisation granted by the special Geriatric Evaluation Commission based on the patient's general conditions.