The trauma associated with a hip fracture results in pain, bleeding, and immobility. These factors initiate inflammatory, hypercoaguable, stress, and catabolic states that can cause medical complications, including death. Proposed mechanisms for increased mortality and morbidity associated with delayed surgery include 1) complications related to a protracted immobilization (e.g. venous thromboembolism, atelectasis and pneumonia, urinary tract infections, pressure ulcers, and muscle mass loss) and 2) increased cardiovascular events.