When to worry about limping with a hip fracture

A hip fracture can make weight-bearing painful or unsafe. Some people cannot walk, while others can still take a few steps with a marked limp, especially after a smaller injury. Pain may be felt in the groin, upper thigh, buttock, or knee. Do not assume that the ability to walk rules out a serious injury.

Stop walking if a fall or direct impact is followed by hip pain or a new limp. Keep the person still and supported, avoid trying to straighten or rotate the leg, and arrange urgent medical evaluation. Tell the clinician how the injury happened, whether weight-bearing is possible, and whether pain began immediately or increased later.

Call emergency services for severe pain, inability to stand, obvious leg deformity, a shortened or outward-turned leg, faintness, or signs of another serious injury. Urgent assessment is also needed when limping begins suddenly without a clear minor cause, worsens quickly, or follows a fall in someone with fragile bones.

Ask whether imaging is needed, how much weight can safely go through the leg, and which movement is allowed while waiting. After treatment, ask when walking practice begins, what equipment is suitable, and which pain or wound changes need review.