Most femoral fractures take about
4 to 6 months
to heal completely, but you should be able to resume many activities before this time.
What are the long term effects of a broken femur?
Long-term symptoms after fracture include
muscular weakness, limited standing and walking, gait abnormalities, some intermittent pain, and inability to return to preinjury work
. Surgical management is rarely needed to treat femoral stress fractures; however, surgical stabilization is recommended for recalcitrant cases.
How painful is a broken femur?
How painful is a broken femur? Broken femurs can be
very painful
. Your healthcare provider will provide pain medication as part of your treatment.
What is the fastest way to heal a broken femur?
- Fracture management – Including closed reduction (bone alignment through manipulation or traction), immobilization (using a splint or cast) and rehabilitation (physical therapy)
- Physical therapy – To regain strength and normal function in the affected area.
Can you fully recover from a broken femur?
Most femoral fractures take about 4 to 6 months to heal completely
, but you should be able to resume many activities before this time.
How long do you stay in the hospital with a broken femur?
Treatment methods included intramedullary nailing, open reduction and internal fixation, arthroplasty or other definitive fixation of femur fracture. Investigators used hospital length of stay as the primary outcome measure. Results showed patients had a median length of stay of
6.43 days
.
How can I strengthen my leg after broken femur?
Does a broken femur qualify for disability?
If you have a fracture of the femur, pelvis, tibia or one or more of the tarsal bones, listing 1.06
may qualify for disability benefits if your condition is so severe that you cannot walk without using a cane, walker or crutches
. It must also limit your ability to independently perform and finish activities.
How can I walk with a broken femur?
If the femur fracture does not require surgery, it is often treated with a cast or removable brace, and patients are typically advised not to put any weight on the leg for about 8 weeks.
A physical therapist will help the patient to walk safely using crutches or a walker, or other assistive device
.
Should you walk on a broken femur?
You usually will not be able to walk on it
. If it’s a severe fracture, the leg may be an odd shape and the bone may even be poking out of the skin. There may have been a “crack” sound when the leg was broken, and the shock and pain of breaking your leg may cause you to feel faint, dizzy or sick.
How do you sleep with a broken femur?
Try
sleeping on your back first while propped up on a few pillows
. If that doesn’t work, slowly adjust yourself to a side position if possible. Sleep in the middle of the bed to prevent any chance of falling off in the middle of the night.
How difficult is it to break a 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.
What are the 4 stages of bone healing?
There are four stages in the repair of a broken bone: 1) the formation of hematoma at the break, 2) the formation of a fibrocartilaginous callus, 3) the formation of a bony callus, and 4) remodeling and addition of compact bone.
What helps bones heal quickly?
In particular,
calcium, vitamin D and protein
will be important during the bone healing process, so be sure you’re focusing on food sources rich in these nutrients, including dark, leafy greens, broccoli, fish, meat, yogurt, nuts and seeds.
What’s the hardest bone to heal?
The femur
— your thigh bone — is the largest and strongest bone in your body. When the femur breaks, it takes a long time to heal. Breaking your femur can make everyday tasks much more difficult because it’s one of the main bones used to walk.
Do they cast a broken femur?
Most femoral shaft fractures require surgery to heal. It is unusual for femoral shaft fractures to be treated without surgery.
Very young children are sometimes treated with a cast
.
How much force does it take to break a femur?
If you’re looking for the specifics to snap a piece of your skeleton, it takes about
4,000 newtons
of force to break the typical human femur. But don’t run out and start applying pressure to femurs and then get upset at us when things don’t crack correctly.
How do surgeons fix a broken femur?
In the most common surgery to repair a femur fracture, the surgeon
inserts a rod or large nail into the center of the bone
. This rod helps support the bone until it heals. The surgeon may also put a plate next to your bone that is attached by screws. Sometimes, fixation devices are attached to a frame outside your leg.
How many hours does femur surgery take?
The surgeon makes a small incision (cut) on the side of your thigh. Special screws or nails are placed to hold the bones in their correct position. This surgery takes
2 to 4 hours
.
How long does it take to bend knee after femur surgery?
It will take atleast
3-4 months
time to get full flexion. Don’t try to bend it by yourself . Visit your nearest physio clinic. Please don’t delay the treatment visit the nearest physiotherapy center.
Does leg get shorter after femur fracture?
Nailing comminuted femur fractures may result in leg shortening
, producing significant complications including pelvic tilt, narrowing of the hip joint space, mechanical and functional changes in gait, an increase in energy expenditures, and strains on spinal ligaments, leading to spinal deformities.
Why is my leg shorter after femur fracture?
This type of overgrowth occurs most often in young children with femur (thighbone) fractures. Alternatively,
a break in a child’s bone through the growth plate near the end of the bone may cause slower growth, resulting in a shorter leg
.
When can you drive after a femur break?
This corresponded to 12 weeks after surgery for extra-articular fractures and 18 weeks after intra-articular injuries. Thus, it can be recommended to resume driving
6 weeks after full-weight bearing on the right lower limb is achieved
.
Can a broken femur cause knee pain?
Knee pain is common and severe after femur fractures
. Knee and thigh pain correlate with functional outcomes.
Is a fractured femur life threatening?
A fractured femur is an emergency that
can in some cases be life threatening
. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have any of these life-threatening symptoms including: Confusion or loss of consciousness for even a brief moment.
