James Farentino died as a result of a broken hip, a Los Angeles coroner has ruled.

Farentino, who enjoyed recurring roles in some of America's biggest TV shows, was suspected to have died of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on 24 January , but the star's cause of death has now been listed as "sequelae of right hip fracture" - an injury he sustained after falling out of bed at his California home in December, according to TMZ.com.

The exact nature of the hip complication has not been listed.

The fractured hip wasn't 73-year-old Farentino's only health problem - he also suffered from heart disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a condition which makes it difficult to breathe.

Farentino rose to fame in the 1960s and became known for starring opposite Patty Duke in 1969's Me, Natalie. He also became a TV favourite on shows like Police Story and Dynasty.