Why does hip fracture cause limping?

A hip fracture can make the painful side less stable and less able to support the body during the stance part of a step. Pain causes a protective pattern: you spend less time on that leg, shorten the opposite step and keep the hip and knee relatively stiff. Muscles around the hip may also tighten or become weak after injury and reduced activity. Together, these changes produce a limp and may make stairs, turning or getting out of a chair difficult. Limping can occasionally occur with a fracture that is not obvious at first, so a person who keeps walking should not assume the injury is minor. Clinical assessment and imaging are needed after a concerning injury.

Reduce walking and avoid stairs, uneven ground and carrying loads. Sit down, support the leg in a comfortable position and arrange urgent medical assessment if the limp started suddenly after a fall, twist or impact. Do not force a normal stride or practise walking through sharp pain. A clinician can decide whether you need no weight, limited weight or another plan, and can provide the correct walking aid. After treatment, rehabilitation may work on strength, balance, joint movement and confidence in a gradual way.

Seek emergency help for a new limp with severe hip or groin pain, inability to bear weight, a leg that appears shorter or turned outward, numbness, a cold or pale foot, faintness or major swelling after injury. Arrange prompt review for a limp that is worsening, follows a minor fall, or persists with pain at rest. Do not drive yourself if getting in and out of the vehicle is painful or unsafe.

Ask: Does my walking pattern suggest that I should avoid weight? Which walking aid fits me? Could the fracture be displaced? What findings will guide treatment? When can I resume stairs and driving? Which exercises are safe now, and what signs mean I should stop?