Each year, more than 300 000 adults in the United States experience a hip fracture, with potentially serious consequences for health and well-being. After a fracture, half of people who previously lived on their own either die within a year or move to a nursing home, and many of those who could previously walk without assistance will newly need help with walking. Nearly all people with a hip fracture need surgery and, as a result, require anesthesia. The 2 most common types of anesthesia for hip fracture surgery are general anesthesia and spinal anesthesia. Although previous research suggests that using spinal anesthesia during hip fracture surgery may result in better recovery and less pain than with general anesthesia, available research is limited to retrospective studies or small trials, many of which do not reflect current practice.
