How long does it take to recover from a broken femur?
The majority of people who suffer a femur fracture receive specialized treatment in a long-term nursing or rehabilitation facility. Full recovery from a femur fracture can take anywhere from 12 weeks to 12 months; however, most people begin walking with the help of a physical therapist in the first day or two after injury and/or surgery.
How long does pain last after femur fracture?
You may still have some mild pain, and the area may be swollen for 3 to 4 months after surgery. Your doctor will give you medicine for the pain. You will continue the rehabilitation program (rehab) you started in the hospital.
What does distal leg mean?
What Does Distal Mean? Distal is a clinical term that refers to the spatial distance of an extremity (i.e. arms and legs) to the point of attachment or the center of the body axis, serving as a metric for highlighting the juncture where bones, muscles and soft connective tissue contribute to biomechanical functionality.
What is the distal part of the leg?
The humerus is the make up the distal segment of the arm. For the leg, the femur is the distal segment of the leg. h. Lateral. The term lateral refers to parts away from the median plane of the body, away from the center, away from the middle of a part, or to the right or left.
Where is the distal femur?
The distal femur is defined as the region from the metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction to the articular surface of the knee, involving approximately the distal 15 cm of the femur. The shaft of the femur is a cylindrical shape and extends into two curved condyles at the distal end.
What is the distal end of the femur called?
The popliteal surface of the femur is a triangular space found at the distal posterior surface of the femur. It is bordered medially and laterally by the corresponding supracondylar lines, and inferiorly by the superior border of the fibrous capsule of the knee.
How is a distal femur fracture treated?
The distal femur can be fixed with metal plates and screws or intramedullary nails. If the break involves the joint or is around a total knee replacement it is usually fixed with metal plates and screws placed through incisions on the side of the leg. Surgery usually takes 1 to 2 hours.
What is a distal femoral replacement?
Distal femoral replacement is an orthopaedic procedure which is most commonly associated with the sarcoma population. The distal portion of the femur (up to two thirds) is excised and replaced by a endoprosthesis incorporating a hinged total knee replacement.
What is the hardest bone to break?
The thigh bone is called a femur and not only is it the strongest bone in the body, it is also the longest. Because the femur is so strong, it takes a large force to break or fracture it – usually a car accident or a fall from high up.
How long does it take for a distal femur fracture to heal?
General Treatment Most distal femur fractures are treated with surgery. The broken bone will take a minimum of 2 months to heal. Some can take more than 6 months to heal. Surgery may take place anywhere from 1-5 days after your injury.
How bad is a distal femur fracture?
As the distal femur fracture usually involves the weight bearing joint it may cause long term problems such as loss of knee motion or instability and long term arthritis.
Can you walk with a fractured femur bone?
Can I walk on a broken femur? If you have a broken femur, you won't be able to put weight on your injured leg.
What causes a distal femur fracture?
Distal femur fractures in younger patients are usually caused by high energy injuries, such as falls from significant heights or motor vehicle collisions. Because of the forceful nature of these fractures, many patients also have other injuries, often of the head, chest, abdomen, pelvis, spine, and other limbs.
How long does a distal femur replacement last?
Other researchers have reported 95% survivorship at up to 8 years using rotating hinge distal femoral replacements for non-tumor cases. Distal femoral replacements function well in the elderly arthroplasty patient.
How long does it take to walk after a femur replacement?
You should be nearly pain free, not dependent on walking aids and have a good range of movement. Normally this will take about 6-8 weeks.
How do they put a rod in a femur?
Inserting the Rod An intramedullary rod is inserted into the top of the femur and guided down through the fracture site and into the bottom portion of the bone. Surgical screws are inserted into the top end of the femur, through the rod and into the femoral head to secure the rod.
What is the lower end of femur?
The lower extremity of femur (or distal extremity) is the lower end of the femur (thigh bone) in human and other animals, closer to the knee.
What are the parts of the femur?
The femur acts as the site of origin and attachment of many muscles and ligaments, and can be divided into three parts; proximal, shaft and distal. Proximal Femur consists of: femoral head - pointed in a medial, superior, and slightly anterior direction.
What is a proximal end?
(PROK-sih-mul) In medicine, refers to a part of the body that is closer to the center of the body than another part. For example, the knee is proximal to the toes. The opposite is distal.
What is the proximal femur?
Proximal femur includes the femoral head, neck and the region 5-cm distal to the lesser trochanter. There is a 125°–130° inclination angle between the head and neck and the femoral body. Further, there is a 15° anteversion angle between the plane passing through the condyles of the femoral head and the femur neck.
What nerves supply the thigh?
Semimembranosus. Semitendinosus. Nerve supply to the thigh comes from various lumbar and sacral nerves via the femoral, obturator, and common peroneal nerves. The tibial and sciatic nerves also supply parts of the thigh. The only bone in the thigh is the femur, which extends from the hip to the knee.
Which muscles help to rotate the thigh?
Muscles in the medial thigh help to bring the thigh toward the midline of the body and rotate it. These muscles are the adductor longus , adductor brevis , adductor magnus , gracilis, and the obturator externus. The hamstrings are three muscles at the back of the thigh that affect hip and knee movement. They begin under the gluteus maximus ...
What is the femoral vein?
The femoral vein runs alongside the femoral artery and also has many branches. It takes oxygen-depleted blood from the thigh on a path back toward the heart. Common problems with the thigh are often the result of participation in sports or repetitive movements. These include:
What muscles are involved in the knee?
These muscles at the front of the thigh are the major extensors (help to extend the leg straight) of the knee. They are: Vastus lateralis . Vastus medialis. Vastus intermedius. Rectus femoris. These four muscles come together to form a single tendon, which inserts into the patella, or kneecap.
What are the symptoms of a swollen thigh?
Common problems with the thigh are often the result of participation in sports or repetitive movements. These include: 1 Muscle strains (pulls or tears) 2 Muscle cramps 3 Contusions (bruises) 4 Tendonitis (inflammation of a tendon) 5 Sciatica (pain from the sciatic nerve)
Where are the hamstrings located?
The hamstrings are three muscles at the back of the thigh that affect hip and knee movement. They begin under the gluteus maximus behind the hipbone and attach to the tibia at the knee. They are:
How much force can a femoral artery resist?
It can resist forces of 1,800 to 2,500 pounds, so it is not easily fractured. Branches of the femoral artery supply the thigh with oxygen-rich blood. The femoral artery is divided into a superficial, deep, and common arteries, and these further divide into branches, including the medial and lateral circumflex arteries.
What is the distal femur?
The distal femur is the bottom part of your thigh bone. It is a trapezoidal shaped bone that makes up the top of your joint and sits just behind your knee cap. Your knee is the largest weight-bearing joint in the body. The end of the bone is covered with a smooth surface called articular cartilage. This cartilage cushions the knee joint and allows for your knee to bend. Strong muscles in the front of your knee and thigh (quadriceps) and the back of your knee and thigh (hamstrings) allow you to bend and straighten your knee.
What percentage of fractures are in the bottom of the thigh?
Fractures of the bottom part of your thigh bone (distal femur fractures) are not common; they make up only about 0.5 percent of all fractures. Since this bone is very strong in younger people, it takes a lot of force to break it (such as a motor vehicle crash), while the weaker bone of an elderly person can break after a ground level fall. ...
What happens if you have a distal femur fracture?
Long-term issues after distal femur fractures can include failure of the fracture to heal. This can cause pain, weakness, and deformity of the knee. If this occurs, it is very important to be evaluated by your treating physician, and likely will require more surgery.
How to tell if a distal femur fracture is broken?
You may see or feel a bump where the bone is broken, and your injured leg may appear shorter than the other. When you see a doctor, they will take x-rays to see if your bone is broken. A CT scan is often performed as well, to better understand the fracture pattern. Often you will be placed in a knee immobilizer to provide stability for your leg and make it hurt less. People are typically admitted to the hospital for definitive treatment.
How long does it take for a distal femur to heal?
Most distal femur fractures are treated with surgery. The broken bone will take a minimum of 2 months to heal. Some can take more than 6 months to heal. Surgery may take place anywhere from 1-5 days after your injury. However, it may be delayed even further if your leg is too swollen or you are not healthy enough for surgery. Rarely, the leg is placed in an "external fixator" (pins drilled into the bone and connected by bars that are outside of your skin) to get your bones lined up, decrease your pain, and let you move around more until your swelling goes down enough for surgery.
What is the cartilage on the back of the knee called?
The end of the bone is covered with a smooth surface called articular cartilage. This cartilage cushions the knee joint and allows for your knee to bend. Strong muscles in the front of your knee and thigh (quadriceps) and the back of your knee and thigh (hamstrings) allow you to bend and straighten your knee.
Where is the knee joint on an x-ray?
Figure 1: An x-ray showing the location of the distal femur and a normal knee joint. The knee joint is the area between the green and blue lines.
Why is the phalange distal to the metatarsal bone?
For example, when discussing the foot, you might say that the phalange is distal to the metatarsal bone because it is further from its point of origin, which would be the ankle bones.
What does proximal mean in anatomy?
What Does Proximal Mean in Human Anatomy? The definition for proximal is easy to remember when you think how closely the term is related to the word proximity. In other words, a body part described as proximal is close to a pre-determined starting point.
Is the elbow proximal or distal?
The answer is that the elbow is proximal while the hand is distal. Here’s the reason why. When considering this question, it’s important to consider the point of origin first. In this case, the torso is seen as the point of origin, making the hand further away from the trunk of the body than the elbow is.
Is distal easy to understand?
On the other hand, distal is equally easy to understand when you match it to the word distant. A body part that is distal to another part is further from the central point of the body or the trunk.
Is there a need to let proximal and distal definitions throw you off anymore?
With so many anatomical terms to remember when it comes to human anatomy, there is no need to let proximal and distal definitions throw you off anymore.
What is distal muscular dystrophy?
Distal muscular dystrophy (DD) is a group of rare diseases that affect your muscles (gene tic myopathies). DD causes weakness that starts in the lower arms and legs (the distal muscles). It then may gradually spread to affect other parts of your body. The muscles shrink (atrophy). DD has several forms. DD usually appears between ages 40 and 60. But it can sometimes show up as early as the teenage years. DD affects both men and women.
When does tibial distal myopathy show up?
Finnish (tibial) distal myopathy affects the legs, particularly the muscles near the shin. It usually shows up after age 40, and most people with this DD can still walk throughout their life.
How is distal muscular dystrophy diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider will start by taking your health history, asking about your recent symptoms, past health conditions, and your family health history. Your provider will give you a physical exam and test your muscle strength. You may need other tests. These include:
What are possible complications of distal muscular dystrophy?
Depending on the form of DD and the muscles involved, complications may include difficulty with walking, swallowing, or other activities, usually beginning in later adulthood. Some forms of DD may be linked with heart problems. If you have a form of DD that sometimes affects the heart, you may need to be monitored for irregular heart rhythms. Some forms of DD can also cause problems with breathing. In these uncommon cases, you may eventually need a breathing machine.
What muscle group is affected by nonaka distal myopathy?
Nonaka distal myopathy affects the muscles near the shin first. It then affects muscle groups in the upper arm, upper leg, and neck. The thigh muscle (quadriceps) usually stays healthy. Welander distal myopathy usually affects the arms first and then the legs. It shows up in people between ages 40 and 50.
How do you get DD?
The genes in your body usually occur in pairs. You inherit a copy from each parent. A change in only 1 copy of the gene is enough to cause most forms of DD. This means the disease passes down in a dominant manner. In some other types of DD, the disease occurs only if you have changes in both copies of the gene. These recessive forms of DD include Nonaka distal myopathy and Miyoshi muscular dystrophy. In Finnish distal myopathy, people with 1 copy of the changed gene have a weakness in the muscles in the fronts of the lower legs (the tibial muscles) after age 40. People with Finnish DD who inherit 2 changed genes have muscle problems in childhood. They may need a wheelchair by age 30.
What age do you need a wheelchair for distal myopathy?
People with Finnish DD who inherit 2 changed genes have muscle problems in childhood. They may need a wheelchair by age 30.
Basic Anatomy
Mechanism and Epidemiology
- Fractures of the bottom part of your thigh bone (distal femur fractures) are not common; they make up only about 0.5 percent of all fractures. Since this bone is very strong in younger people, it takes a lot of force to break it (such as a motor vehicle crash), while the weaker bone of an elderly person can break after a ground level fall. Fractures of the distal femur can involve your knee joint.
Initial Treatment
- Distal femur fractures hurt a lot when you try to move your leg or your knee joint. You usually can’t walk on the leg. You may see or feel a bump where the bone is broken, and your injured leg may appear shorter than the other. When you see a doctor, they will take x-rays to see if your bone is broken. A CT scan is often performed as well, to better understand the fracture pattern. Often yo…
General Treatment
- Most distal femur fractures are treated with surgery. The broken bone will take a minimum of 2 months to heal. Some can take more than 6 months to heal. Surgery may take place anywhere from 1-5 days after your injury. However, it may be delayed even further if your leg is too swollen or you are not healthy enough for surgery. Rarely, the leg is placed in an "external fixator" (pins dr…
Postoperative Care
- While your broken distal femur is healing, you may not be able to put all or any of your weight on that leg for 6 to 12 weeks. However, some fractures are stable enough for weightbearing right away. Your surgeon will make this decision. Most of the time you can begin to move the knee after surgery. Sometimes a hinged knee brace is placed over your knee. It is important during re…
Long Term
- Your leg will become significantly weaker than the other, unaffected leg while you are recovering and healing. This may take many months to improve. After surgery, you may have numbness around the scar and your leg may be very swollen. The swelling may continue for months or it may never completely go away. The plates and screws can sometimes become bothersome, especia…