A Case Report of Femoral Neck Fracture in an Elderly Patient Managed by Non-operative Korean Medical Treatment : 42 Months Follow-up

Abstract

This report showed the clinical outcome of an elderly patient with a femoral neck fracture who was treated non-operatively with Korean medical treatment. The patient had acupuncture, herbal medication, moxibustion, and participated in physical rehabilitation for 3 months. The effects of Korean medical treatment were measured every 2 weeks using the numeric rating scale (NRS) and the Harris hip score (HHS). After treatments, the NRS score for hip pain decreased from 8 to 2, and the HHS increased from 0 to 43. A 42-month follow-up showed the patient’s NRS score was 0 and the HHS was 61. Furthermore, an X-ray showed complete union of the femoral neck fracture with no suspicion of avascular necrosis. These results suggest that Korean medical treatment can effectively reduce pain and aid rehabilitation in patient with femoral neck fractures with no surgery, resulting in complete union of the fracture.

Keywords

• femoral neck fracture
• acupuncture
• herbal medicine
• Korean traditional medicine
• Korean medical treatment