Did Santa Break a Hip Coming Down the Chimney?

Santa Clause has a big job each Christmas Eve: deliver toys to every child in the world in a single night. Unfortunately, most of the northern hemisphere is cold on the one day he has to work, which means treacherous travel. Climbing in and out of millions of fireplaces, walking on icy roofs, and braving the cold air are all huge risks Santa takes each year to make sure kids get their presents. But what would happen if Santa broke a hip climbing through a chimney or falling on an icy roof?

Broken Hips at the North Pole

If Santa did fall and hurt his hip, the first thing to do would be to hop in his magical sleigh and have Rudolph lead the way to the North Pole’s hospital. X-rays and diagnostics would be used to determine if Santa’s hip was broken or just bruised. Doctors would make sure that Santa could bear weight, bend his leg and walk properly. If not, X-rays and other imaging will be ordered to check for a fracture.

If an X-ray showed a fracture, Santa and his team of medical professionals would have to decide if a hip brace and physical therapy would suffice – or if Santa would need surgery.

Deciding on Physical Therapy or Surgery for Santa’s Broken Hip

There are a few factors Santa’s doctors would have to take into account if he broke his hip. These include:

• Santa’s age (how old is he, really??)
• Santa’s health (those cookies can’t be great for him)
• Santa’s lifestyle (what does he do every other day of the year?)
• The type of fracture and its location

All of these factors impact whether or not physical therapy and rest will work for Santa’s broken hip. If Santa’s bones are already deteriorating due to osteoporosis, for example, odds are that physical therapy won’t help the break. In addition, conditions like diabetes may make it harder for Santa’s hip to repair itself.

Without surgery, it can take up to 3 to 4 months to fully recover from a hip break and Santa would need to stay in bed for much of it. That’s probably not going to be hard for him, given he only works one day a year!

Does Santa Need Hip Surgery?

But most of all, hip surgery for Santa depends on the type of fracture and its location. For example, if Santa breaks the femoral neck (the area just below the ball joint of the hip), he will most likely need surgery. However, if the fracture is small or does not cause massive risk or discomfort, Santa may be given a brace and orders for bed rest. However, Santa will need to be monitored for increasing pain, blood clots and muscle atrophy.

If Santa really did fall and break his hip, he should be up and about by Christmas Eve next year – whether he needs surgery or just rest.

Orthopedic Corner | Leon Mead MD Orthopedic Doctor | 730 Goodlette Road North, Suite 201  Naples Florida 34102 | Phone: (239) 262-1119