The intertrochanteric area of your body is where your hip and thigh meet. It is important for your overall health and mobility because it affects your ability to walk, run, or squat. Cracks or breaks (fractures) in the bony area between trochanters are common. Some 38% to 50% of fractures in the hip area are intertrochanteric.
Risk of Intertrochanteric Fracture
Intertrochanteric fractures are rare in younger people. Your risk increases as you age and your bones become weaker. Risk factors include being female or over 60.
You’re also at greater risk if you have:
- A history of falling
- Osteoporosis
- A history of bone problems and fractures
- Low bone density
- Low muscle mass
- Problems walking
- Poor balance
An intertrochanteric fracture leaves you at a greater risk for future fractures. It may also leave you with permanent pain and soreness on that side of your body and make you less able to use that joint effectively.
Symptoms of Intertrochanteric Fracture
A break in the intertrochanteric area often happens after a fall or other trauma. Signs that you may have an intertrochanteric fracture include:
- Severe pain where your leg meets your hip
- You can’t bear weight on your leg
- You can’t move or stand up after falling down
- Bruising or swelling where your leg meets your hip
- Stiffness in your leg and hip on the side of the injury
- Your leg is in an unusual position after a fall or injury
Treatment Options for Intertrochanteric Fracture
Diagnosing a fracture. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and what happened leading up to your symptoms. Did you fall or sustain an injury? Be sure to give your doctor as many details as possible.
An X-ray or other imaging test is the best way to diagnose an intertrochanteric fracture. If the fracture is small, an MRI may show more detail than a typical X-ray.
Next steps. If your fracture isn’t bad, your doctor may suggest that you stay home, rest, and take pain medication. If it’s serious, you may need surgery. In that case, full recovery may take several months.
Keeping Your Intertrochanteric Area Healthy
To avoid fracture, take steps to keep your bones strong and healthy. You may not be able to avoid osteoporosis, but you can reduce its impact on your life. Here's what everyone should do for the good of the intertrochanteric area:
Maintain a healthy diet. Get a variety of foods that provide nutrients for your health overall. Calcium and vitamin D are the most important nutrients for strong bones, but your overall health is just as important. Nutrients in your body work together.
Supplement your diet. If you don’t get enough calcium and vitamin D in the foods you eat, consider a supplement. Talk to your doctor about how much of these nutrients you may need. You may need more than one.
If you’re lactose intolerant, choose nondairy food sources of calcium like leafy greens.
Try vigorous exercise. When you have weak bones, you may fear injury and want to take it easy. But cardio exercise such as running or jogging sends signals to your body that help make your bones stronger.
Always talk to your doctor before beginning a new exercise, especially something strenuous such as running. Start out slow and build up over time. That way, you'll lessen the chance of injuries as you adjust to your new exercise routine.
If you're not physically able to run, take brisk walks. Walking is generally considered a low-impact exercise, but you can step up your effort a little at a time to strengthen your bones.
Try timing your regular walking pace and see how long it takes you to walk a mile. Then on your next walk, go a little faster. If you can't stick to a faster pace, go more slowly for two to three minutes at a time, a few times during your walk.
Seek out hills during your walk and, indoors or out, climb stairs when possible. Hills and stairs challenge you to carry your body weight differently, strengthening your bones.
Strength training is just as important as cardio, and you can easily do the two together. Take a break during your walk to do squats or lunges to strengthen your legs and hips.
Lose less healthy habits. Drinking alcohol or caffeine and smoking can make bone health worse.
Remember, age doesn’t matter when it comes to making healthy choices. You may not be able to fix any damage already done to your bones. But you can slow down future weakening of the intertrochanteric area and improve your quality of life.