Mary’s grandmother slipped on a scatter rug and fell heavily to the floor. Her left lower limb was laterally rotated and noticeably shorter than the right, and when she attempted to get up, she winced...

Mary’s grandmother slipped on a scatter rug and fell heavily to the floor. Her left lower limb was laterally rotated and noticeably shorter than the right, and when she attempted to get up, she winced with pain. Mary surmised that her grandmother might have “fractured her hip,” which later proved to be true. What bone was probably fractured and at what site? Why is a “fractured hip” a common type of fracture in the elderly?