Final answer:
A hip displacement is when the femoral head moves out of its socket, while a hip fracture is a break in the bone. Hip fractures can lead to grave complications, often require surgery, and are commonly caused by osteoarthritis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference between a hip displacement and a hip fracture involves the type of injury to the hip joint. A displacement, or dislocation, occurs when the head of the femur is moved out of its socket in the pelvic bone, causing a loss of joint congruity. In contrast, a fracture refers to a break in the bone itself. Hip fractures in the elderly are a serious concern, often occurring from a fall that breaks the femoral neck and can lead to severe complications such as necrosis due to disrupted blood supply, immobility, and substantial healthcare costs.
Hip fractures can be life-threatening due to complications that arise from immobility during the healing process. These complications include the formation of blood clots, respiratory failure, pneumonia, pressure sores, and urinary tract infections. The most common cause of hip disability, requiring surgeries like total hip arthroplasty, is osteoarthritis. Various types of fractures can occur such as transverse fractures or more complex ones, and the treatment may involve either closed or open reduction, with the latter requiring surgical exposure and resetting of the bone.