Patient education: Femur fracture (The Basics)

What is a femur fracture? — A "fracture" is another word for a broken bone. A femur fracture is when a person breaks the bone in their upper leg or thigh.

There are different kinds of fractures, depending on how the bone breaks. When a bone breaks, it might crack, break all of the way through, or shatter. The femur can break closer to the knee, in the middle, or closer to the hip. The following information is about breaks in the middle of the femur or closer to the knee. Hip fractures are treated differently.

Femur fractures are more common in children and people older than 75 years.

What are the symptoms of a femur fracture? — Symptoms depend on where the bone is broken and the kind of break it is. Common symptoms can include:

●Pain, swelling, or bruising over the area

●The area looking abnormal, bent, or not the usual shape

●Not being able to move or put weight on that leg

●Numbness in the leg

●The injured leg or thigh looks shorter than the other one

Is there a test for a femur fracture? — Yes. Your doctor or nurse will ask about your symptoms, do an exam, and take an X-ray. They might do other imaging tests, such as a CT scan, bone scan, or ultrasound. Imaging tests create pictures of the inside of the body.

How are femur fractures treated? — Treatment depends, in part, on the type of fracture you have and how serious it is. The goal of treatment is to have the ends of the femur line up with each other so that the bone can heal.

If the ends of your femur are already in line with each other, your doctor will put a cast, splint, or brace on your leg. This will keep your bone in the correct position so that it can heal. Infants and young children with a femur fracture often require a special cast called a "spica cast."

Many femur fractures in older children, adolescents, and adults require surgery to put the bone back in the correct position. This is called "open fracture reduction."

Will I need surgery? — Maybe. If so, during surgery, the doctor will move the broken pieces of bone into the correct place. They will also use some type of hardware to hold the bone in place while it heals. The hardware can include metal plates, rods or nails, pins, wires, or screws (figure 1). In some cases, the hardware is removed after the fracture is healed.

How long do femur fractures take to heal? — Most fractures take weeks to months to heal. Fractures in children usually heal faster than fractures in adults.

How do I care for myself at home? — Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure that you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

●If you were given a splint or brace, wear it as you were shown. This supports your broken bone. Some fractures are placed in a cast right away. Other fractures are not put in a cast until after the swelling goes down.

●If you have a cast, do not get it wet unless you are told that it is waterproof.

●When your doctor allows walking, you will need to use crutches or a walker to help you get around. You will not be able to put weight on your leg at first.

●Prop your injured leg on pillows, keeping it above the level of your heart. This might help lessen pain and swelling.

●You might want to take an over-the-counter medicine for your pain. Over-the-counter medicines include acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol), ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin), and naproxen (sample brand name: Aleve).

●You might also have gotten a prescription for stronger pain medicines to take for a short time. If so, follow the instructions for taking them.

●Ice can help with pain and swelling. Put a cold gel pack, bag of ice, or bag of frozen vegetables on the injured area every 1 to 2 hours, for 15 minutes each time. Put a thin towel between the ice (or other cold object) and your skin. Use the ice (or other cold object) for at least 6 hours after your injury. Some people find it helpful to ice longer, even up to 2 days after their injury.

●Eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of calcium, vitamin D, and protein (figure 2).

●If you smoke, try to stop. Broken bones take longer to heal if you smoke.

What problems can happen with a femur fracture? — Your doctor will talk to you about all of the possible problems and answer your questions. Possible problems include:

●Damage to nerves or blood vessels

●Blood clots

●The bone not healing correctly

●Infection

●Compartment syndrome (an abnormal buildup of pressure in a group of muscles in the leg)

●Ongoing pain or weakness

When should I call the doctor? — Call for emergency help right away (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1) if:

●You feel short of breath or have trouble breathing.

●You have sharp or severe chest pain when you breathe.

●You cough up blood.

●Your splint or cast becomes too tight and uncomfortable, or your toes turn pale, blue, or gray.

Call the doctor or nurse for advice if:

●Your leg becomes swollen or starts to hurt more.

●There is a bad smell or drainage coming from the splint or cast.

●You have a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or chills.

●The cast feels too loose, you notice a crack in the cast, or the cast becomes soft.

●You have less feeling or movement in your toes.

●Your skin becomes red or irritated around the cast, or the redness starts to spread up your leg.

●The cast gets wet, and it is not supposed to get wet.

More on this topic

Patient education: Fractures (The Basics)
Patient education: How to care for your cast (The Basics)
Patient education: How to care for your child's cast (The Basics)
Patient education: How to care for a splint (The Basics)
Patient education: How to use crutches (The Basics)
Patient education: Calcium and vitamin D for bone health (The Basics)
Patient education: Osteoporosis (The Basics)
Patient education: Giving your child over-the-counter medicines (The Basics)
Patient education: Quitting smoking (The Basics)

Patient education: Cast and splint care (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Quitting smoking (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Calcium and vitamin D for bone health (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Osteoporosis prevention and treatment (Beyond the Basics)