How do they surgically fix a broken femur at mid shaft?
For a fracture in the middle part of your femur, surgeons often use a specially designed long metal rod that passes through the middle of the bone. It screws into the bone at both ends. (Ask what your surgeon will use in your case.) Your healthcare provider may make other repairs, if necessary.
How do infants break their femur?
Fractures can occur from a fall, trauma, or direct blow. Most childhood femur fractures result from: falling, for instance, from stairs or a jungle gym. moderate to severe trauma that may happen in a car accident or during contact sports.
How are femur shaft fractures treated?
Currently, the method most surgeons use for treating femoral shaft fractures is intramedullary nailing. During this procedure, a specially designed metal rod is inserted into the canal of the femur. The rod passes across the fracture to keep it in position.
Does a broken femur require surgery?
Femur fractures that are simple, short cracks in the bone usually do not require surgery. However, fractures that break completely through the bone, or cause the bone to be displaced or crushed, require immediate surgery.
How long does a broken femur take to heal for a child?
In most cases, three to six weeks of early healing is necessary before the child can begin walking on the injured leg. When the bone is completely healed, usually around one year after the injury occurs, the child returns to the hospital to have the nails removed.
Can a fractured femur heal on its own?
A broken femur will usually have a major effect on your life, but only temporarily. Surgeries are routinely effective and people are typically able to completely heal from a broken femur. In the majority of broken femurs, patients return to a normal lifestyle.
Is it hard to break your femur?
The femur, the longest and strongest bone in the human body, is quite hard to break. Unless your bone has been weakened (most commonly the result of osteoporosis, medication side effects or cancer), it takes quite a lot of force to sustain a femur fracture.
Can you walk with a hairline fracture in your femur?
These are often caused by repetitive force to the bone such as during long marches, by repeatedly jumping up and down, or by running long distances. Because the cracks are tiny, you may be able to walk despite them, albeit painfully. However, doctors do not recommend this.
How long does it take for a femur shaft fracture to heal?
Most femoral shaft fractures take 3 to 6 months to completely heal. Some take even longer, especially if the fracture was open or broken into several pieces or if the patient uses tobacco products.
Which is the best description of a broken femur?
The break is a straight horizontal line. Oblique fracture. The break has an angled line. Spiral fracture. The break has a line that encircles the shaft like the stripes on a barber pole or candy cane. Comminuted fracture. The bone is broken into three or more pieces. Compound fracture. Bone fragments are sticking out through the skin.
When to start walking after a broken femur?
Yet, many patients can start walking much earlier with the help of a physical therapist. Timing of surgery will depend on if the skin around the fracture is broken or not. Open fractures expose the injury site to the environment and need to be treated immediately. External fixation requires metal screws or pins to be placed into the bone.
Can a slip and fall cause a broken femur?
A severe sports injury could also have the effect for athletes of young people. Even a low force incident such as a fall can cause a broken femur in individuals with weak bones. In the elderly, broken femur may be caused by a slip or fall.
What do you call a broken femur shaft?
Motor vehicle collisions, for example, are the number one cause of femur fractures. The long, straight part of the femur is called the femoral shaft. When there is a break anywhere along this length of bone, it is called a femoral shaft fracture. This type of broken leg almost always requires surgery to heal.
Most femoral shaft fractures take 3 to 6 months to completely heal. Some take even longer, especially if the fracture was open or broken into several pieces or if the patient uses tobacco products.
When to have surgery for a broken femur?
Timing of surgery will depend on if the skin around the fracture is broken or not. Open fractures expose the injury site to the environment and need to be treated immediately. External fixation requires metal screws or pins to be placed into the bone.
How can you tell if your femur is broken?
The most common way to evaluate a fracture is with x-rays, which provide clear images of bone. X-rays can show whether a bone is intact or broken. They can also show the type of fracture and where it is located within the femur. X-ray shows a transverse fracture of the femur.