Your thighbone (femur) is the longest and strongest bone in your body. Your femur is one of the main bone used to walk. Being so strong it takes a lot of force to break the femur bone, similarly it takes a long time to heal.
How is a femur broken?
A femur fracture is usually caused by a severe accident and vehicle accident are one of the primary causes. The image below shows the types of femur fractures. [image credit: verywellhealth.com]
Broken femur in elderly is due to a fall because their bones tend to be weaker competitively. Depending on how close to the hip the break is, it may be called a hip fracture instead of a femur fracture.
Other risk factors for a fractured femur
- Age over 65
- Deconditioning (loss of muscle mass, muscle weakness)
- Frailty (general weakness, fatigue, loss of muscle mass and strength)
- Metabolic bone disease
- Metastatic (widespread) cancer
- Osteoporosis
- Participating in extreme or contact sports
- Tendency to fall
Symptoms of a broken femur
- Immediate severe pain
- Can’t put weight on the injured leg
- The injured leg appears to be shorter than the uninjured leg
- injured leg appears to be crooked
- Inability to move the affected leg
- Numbness or tingling
- Muscle spasms
Broken femur treatment
The majority of broken femurs require surgery and medication. Treatments for a fractured femur are based upon realignment of the fragments of the broken bone so that healing can take place.
Surgery – 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.
Medication – Before and after surgery, your doctor may help you manage your pain with over-the-counter and prescription medications.
Non-surgical treatment – It is unusual for femoral shaft fractures to be treated without surgery. Very young children are sometimes treated with a cast.
Management of broken femur post-surgery
Most femur fractures take 3 to 6 months to completely heal. While some take even longer, especially if the femur fracture was open or broken into several pieces or if the patient uses tobacco products.
Your orthopedic surgeon will most likely suggest physical therapy which helps to strengthen the muscle around the bone.
A broken femur will definitely have a major impact in your life, but it is only temporary. Femur fracture surgery is routinely effective and typically people are able to heal completely and can return to normal life.