Thigh bone fracture - Sportnetdoc

Diagnosis:

(FRACTURA)

Anatomy: The femur is the only bone in the thigh. Innumerable muscles are attached to the bone.

Caput femoris
Collum femoris
Trochanter minor
Trochanter major

THIGH BONE FROM THE FRONT

Cause: Fracture of the thigh bone occurs most commonly following a heavy blow or twist. By far the majority of fractures occur in the middle section of the thigh bone. A fracture of the femoral neck (article) and stress fractures are very seldom seen in children (article).

Symptoms: Pain and swelling. It will most often be impossible for the patient to support himself on the leg due to pain.

Examination: X-ray examination will usually reveal the fracture. Since many stress fractures are not visible early in the course, x-ray examination can be repeated after a few weeks. Scintigraphy, CT, MRI and ultrasound scans can often diagnose stress fractures far earlier than x-rays (Ultrasonic image). The occurrence of stress fractures in the thigh bone is very rare in children, but much more frequent in adults (see thigh stress fracture in SportNetDoc adults).

Treatment: The treatment primarily comprises relief (article). Only in special cases is surgery necessary (article).

Rehabilitation of children and adolescents: The rehabilitation is completely dependant on the severity of the fracture and the treatment. All rehabilitation should therefore be performed in close cooperation with the doctor controlling the treatment. A period of at least two months is usually recommended before full participation in sport can be permitted.

Complications: The great majority of cases heal without complication or after-effects following non-operative treatment. Complications are more frequently seen following surgical treatment of the fracture (article). A shortening of the leg can be seen following a thigh bone fracture (article) and problems in the healing process where in some cases a false joint is formed (pseudoarthrosis), which requires surgical treatment.