Can a broken femur be repaired?
Femur fracture repair-discharge. You had a fracture (break) in the femur in your leg. It is also called the thigh bone. You may have needed surgery to repair the bone. You may have had surgery called an open reduction internal fixation. In this surgery, your surgeon will make a cut to open your fracture.
How long does it take to recover from a femur fracture?
The recovery from a femur fracture depends on the severity of the fracture. Most of the femur fractures heal within 3 to 6 months. But if an open fracture or the bone is broken into pieces or the patient consumes tobacco products, the fracture takes more time to heal.
What is a femur fracture repair discharge?
Femur fracture repair - discharge. You had a fracture (break) in the femur in your leg. It is also called the thigh bone. You may have needed surgery to repair the bone. You may have had surgery called an open reduction internal fixation. In this surgery, your surgeon will make a cut to open your fracture.
How is femur fracture surgery performed?
In this type of surgery, a cut is made to open the fracture, then internal fixator or special metal devices are used to hold the bone in place. Afterwards, a rod or a large nail is placed in the center of the femur to support the bone until it heals.
How long does a femur surgery take?
This surgery takes 2 to 4 hours.
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 long does it take to walk after femur fracture surgery?
Full recovery from a femur fracture can take anywhere from 12 weeks to 12 months. But you are not alone. Most people experiencing a femur fracture can begin walking with the help of a physical therapist in the first day or two after injury and/or surgery.
How long does ORIF femur surgery take?
ORIF is a two-part procedure. The surgery can take several hours, depending on the fracture. An anesthesiologist will give you general anesthesia. This will put you in a deep sleep during the surgery so you won't feel any pain.
How serious is a broken femur in the elderly?
A femur break is a serious break at any age but it can be deadly to seniors that are 65 years and older. The femur is the longest bone in the body. Femur breaks/fractures are most likely at the hip but in some cases can be at the lower extremities.
How serious is a femur break?
A broken femur is a serious injury that requires immediate medical care. Broken femurs are treated with surgery and physical therapy. It can take months for your broken femur to heal. You can break your femur by being in a car crash, falling or being shot.
How long does it take an elderly person to recover from a broken femur?
Recovery most often takes 4 to 6 months. The length of your recovery will depend on how severe your fracture is, whether you have skin wounds, and how severe they are. Recovery also depends on whether your nerves and blood vessels were injured, and what treatment you had.
How painful is a broken femur?
A femoral shaft fracture usually causes immediate, severe pain. You will not be able to put weight on the injured leg, and it may look deformed—shorter than the other leg and no longer straight.
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.
Is ORIF a major surgery?
The bones are held together with hardware, such as metal pins, plates, rods, or screws. The hardware stays in your body permanently. Recovery from ORIF surgery can take from three to twelve months and often requires physical therapy. It is major surgery with the potential for complications.
How long does bone surgery take?
At the hospital or surgery centre The anesthesia may make you sleep. Or it may just numb the area being worked on. In most cases, the surgery takes about 1 to 2 hours. But it can take longer, depending on how serious the fracture is.
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.
Can you walk after femur fracture?
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.
Can 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.
Do they cast a broken femur?
After reduction or surgery, your child will be put in a spica cast to hold the bone in place while it heals. If your child has surgery, the spica cast will also hold the hip or thigh muscles in place while they heal.
What happens when someone breaks their femur?
Symptoms of a femur fracture include severe pain, swelling, tenderness, physical deformity and often, the inability to walk. Treatment for a femur fracture often includes setting and immobilizing the leg, and in severe cases, surgery may be required to ensure proper healing.
What is the procedure to fix a broken femur?
The most common surgery for a broken femur is called intramedullary nailing . This surgery inserts a rod into the length of the bone with screws above and below to hold it into place.
What to do after a broken femur?
Following a femur break, once the bone is set back into its proper place and is stable, your doctor will most likely recommend physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the bone.
Why is my femur so strong?
The femur is a very large, strong bone that is difficult to break. A broken femur is usually caused by a severe accident; vehicle accidents are one of the primary causes. Older adults can fracture their femur from a fall because their bones tend to be weaker.
What happens if you break your femur bone?
Poor alignment of the femur bone may also be painful. Peripheral damage. The break may also injure the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves of the leg. Surgical complications. Some complications related to surgery include infection and blood clots.
Can a broken femur heal?
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. Last medically reviewed on July 31, 2018.
How long does it take to fix a fracture?
1-6 hours: Depends on the severity of the fracture and the experience of the surgeon. If it is a simple fracture the surgery itself can be less than an hour. However, in more complicated cases can take several hours to get everything right. Best is to discuss your specific case with your orthopedic surgeon.
How long does it take to get answers from orthopedic surgeons?
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How long does it take for a broken femur to heal?
As the femur is a long and strong bone in your body, a broken femur is rare. However, when it fractures, the healing process takes around six months and goes through the following phases: Regeneration of new bone growth.
How long does it take for a femur fracture to heal?
Most of the femur fractures heal within 3 to 6 months. But if an open fracture or the bone is broken into pieces or the patient consumes tobacco products, the fracture takes more time to heal. For the best femur fracture treatment, management and care plan – and for any other complicated bone fractures – including trauma, ...
What is the best treatment for a fractured femur?
Surgical Treatment for Femur Fracture: Most of the time, femur fractures require surgery to correct or repair them. Orthopaedic surgeons use new surgical techniques and tools to deliver optimum results, even in elderly patients with low bone density.
What is the classification of a fractured femur?
Classification of Distal Femur Fractures: If the bone breaks straight across, it is a transverse fracture, and if the bone breaks into pieces, it is known as a comminuted fracture. Sometimes, the femur fractures extend into your knee joint, which are known as intra-articular fractures.
How are femur fractures classified?
Femur fractures are classified based on: 1 Fracture location 2 Fracture pattern 3 Whether the skin and muscle around the bone are torn or not
Why do people have distal femur fractures?
Distal femur fractures are common in older people as they have weak bones. In younger people, they may occur due to a high impact fall or motor vehicle accidents.
What is a fractured femoral shaft?
Types of Femoral Shaft Fractures: Femur fractures vary based on the severity of the break. The bone might crack (stable fracture), or the broken bone pieces go out of alignment (displaced fracture). The skin surrounding the fracture might be intact (closed fracture), or the bone may pierce out of the skin (open fracture).
What is the procedure to fix a broken femur?
Internal fixation is the choice surgery done to treat a broken femur. In this type of surgery, a cut is made to open the fracture, then internal fixator or special metal devices are used to hold the bone in place. Afterwards, a rod or a large nail is placed in the center of the femur to support the bone until it heals.
How long does it take to recover from a broken femur?
Running can be done after 3 weeks then gradual return to usual training regimen. After surgery, physical therapy, discussed below, is needed in order to gradually restore function to the thighs. Usually, range of motion exercises and stretches are done to give strength to the broken femur.
How long does a femoral fracture last?
However, for open fracture, an emergency surgery is done immediately to prevent infection. Surgery for a broken femur can last up to three or four hours.
Why do you need antibiotics for femoral fracture?
Antibiotics may be necessary to avoid infection. Especially in the case of open femoral fracture and directly after surgery, antibiotics may be used to prevent infection of the site. The physician will first obtain a wound culture by getting a sample of wound discharge and getting it analyzed.
How is intramedullary nailing done?
During intramedullary nailing, metal rods are inserted into the marrow canal of the bones through a small incision. They are then screwed to the bone at both ends. This procedure keeps the bone in its correct position during healing. This surgery provides strong, stable and full-length fixation.
How to get rid of a broken femur?
Strengthen your bones. Eat foods that are rich in calcium such as green leafy vegetables and make it a habit to regularly drink milk. Consume vitamin D supplements to help strengthen your bones. This will ensure that you do not re-break your femur.
How to strengthen a leg?
Lie on a flat surface with a towel under the affected leg. Start by tightening the front thigh muscles (quadriceps) by pushing the knee in a downward motion into the towel.
How does a femur fracture repair work?
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.
What is the name of the surgery that is done to fix a broken bone?
These devices are called internal fixators. The complete name of this surgery is open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). In the most common surgery ...
What is the term for a fractured femur?
You had a fracture (break) in the femur in your leg. It is also called the thigh bone. You may have needed surgery to repair the bone. You may have had surgery called an open reduction internal fixation. In this surgery, your surgeon will make a cut to the skin to align your broken bone.
How long does it take to recover from a fracture?
Recovery most often takes 4 to 6 months. The length of your recovery will depend on how severe your fracture is, whether you have skin wounds, and how severe they are. Recovery also depends on whether your nerves and blood vessels were injured, and what treatment you had.
How to keep leg brace dry while showering?
Take special care when showering. Follow your provider's instructions closely. If you are wearing a leg brace or immobilizer, cover it with plastic to keep it dry while you shower.
What is a femoral shaft fracture?
Femoral Shaft Fractures. A femoral shaft fracture is a severe injury that usually occurs as a result of a high-speed car collision or a fall from a great height. The treatment almost always requires surgery.
What is a proximal femur fracture?
Proximal femur fractures, or hip fractures, involve the uppermost portion of the thigh bone just adjacent to the hip joint. These fractures are further subdivided into: 2 . Femoral neck fractures are those that occur when the ball of the ball-and-socket joint is broken at the top of the femur.
What are the different types of fractures?
Proximal femur fractures, or hip fractures, involve the uppermost portion of the thigh bone just adjacent to the hip joint. These fractures are further subdivided into: 2 1 Femoral neck fractures are those that occur when the ball of the ball-and-socket joint is broken at the top of the femur. 2 Intertrochanteric hip fractures occur just below the femoral neck and are more easily repaired than femoral neck fractures.
What is a supracondylar fracture?
A supracondylar femur fracture, also called a distal femur, is a break in the bone that occurs just above the knee joint. 4 These fractures often involve the cartilage surface of the knee joint and are most commonly seen in people with severe osteoporosis or those who have previously undergone total knee replacement surgery.
What is external fixation?
External fixation is usually a temporary treatment for patients who have multiple injuries and cannot have a longer surgery to fix the fracture. 3 . External Fixation for Fractures.
Is a femur fracture a medical emergency?
A femur fracture is always considered a medical emergency requiring immediate evaluation and treatment in a hospital. The treatment is largely dependent on the location of the fracture and the pattern and extent of the break.
What is the procedure to fix a broken thigh bone?
Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) is surgery used to stabilize and heal a broken bone. You might need this procedure to treat your broken thighbone (femur). The femur is the large bone in the upper part of your leg. Different kinds of trauma can damage this bone, causing it to fracture into 2 or more pieces.
How does a femur fracture work?
For a fracture in the long, middle part of your femur, your surgeon may insert a long metal rod through the middle of your bone. The entire operation usually takes place while you are asleep under general anesthesia.
What is ORIF in femur surgery?
If you fracture your femur, you usually need ORIF to bring your bones back into place and help them heal. During an open reduction, orthopedic surgeons reposition your bone pieces during surgery, so that they are back in their proper alignment. ...
What causes a femur to break?
Your femur might also be more likely to break if you have bone cancer. Motor vehicle accidents, sports-related injuries, gunshot injuries, and falls are common sources ...
What do you need to know before a femur surgery?
Before your procedure, a healthcare provider will take your medical history and do a physical exam. You’ll need imaging of your femur, probably with an X-ray or computed tomography scan (CT). Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including over-the-counter medicines like aspirin.
Where is the femur fracture?
This might happen to the part of the femur near your knee, near the middle of the femur, or in the part of the femur that forms part of your hip joint. In certain types of femur fractures, your femur has broken, but its pieces still line up correctly. In other types of fractures (displaced fractures), the trauma moves the bone fragments out ...
What is internal fixation?
Internal fixation refers to the method of physically reconnecting your bones. This might involve special screws, plates, rods, wires, or nails that your surgeon places inside your bones to fix them in the correct place. This prevents your bones from healing abnormally. For a fracture in the long, middle part of your femur, ...
What is the average healing time for broken femur?
3-4 months: It typically takes 3-4 months in adults for femur shaft fracture to consolidate. However neck & distal femur heal in half the time. Children also take... Read More
How much time does a surgery take for a broken femur?
Damage dependent: Not all fractured femurs are the same. A straightforward, minimally displaced femur fracture can be fixed (usually with a long intramedullary nail) in... Read More
How much time it takes to walk to run and to get fit after broken femur?
6m - 1 year: Depending on your age, nature of the injury and the treatment, recovery after a femur fracture takes 6 m to 1 year.
Any advise on increasing healing of a broken femur with rod and screws? does smoking marijuana slow healing time ?
Recovery: An open reduction and internal fixation with rod and screws, is the recommended method of treating femur fracture. Smoking nicotine will DELAY healing... Read More
What are some the major complications of a broken femur?
Busted Bone Blues: Among the serious complications are fat embolism (where droplets of oil float in the blood and travel to cause problems in other vessels), DVT and pul... Read More
How long does surgery take on a broken femur?
1-6 hours: Depends on the severity of the fracture and the experience of the surgeon. If it is a simple fracture the surgery itself can be less than an hour. How... Read More
I have a broken femur what's better swimming or gym?
If you have a : Broken femur recommend not exercising until medically cleared to do so by your orthopedic surgeon.