[Fracture of the femoral neck in bed caused by an epileptic seizure].

An 82-year-old man was brought into the emergency department after an epileptic seizure. Although the seizure took place in his bed and was not followed by a fall, his right hip was broken. No underlying bone abnormalities were found. The patient received a femoral head & neck prosthesis and recovered fully. Fractures are more common in patients with epilepsy than in the general population, due to both seizure-related trauma and a relatively high prevalence of osteoporosis, which is due partly to the use of anti-epileptic drugs. However, even after a seizure without trauma in a patient without underlying abnormalities of bone structure, a fracture may arise as a result of the force of the muscle contractions during the seizure.