Femoral Neck Fracture
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. A femur has the potential to be broken in multiple different places. A fracture of the femoral neck represents a weak spot in the femur where fractures commonly occur.
What is a Femoral Neck Fracture?
The femur is divided into many different parts including the femoral head, the femoral neck, and the femoral shaft. The neck of the femur connects the head of the femur (which inserts into the hip socket) to the shaft of the femur. The neck represents a thin spot where a bone fracture in the femur can develop.
Mechanism of Injury
This type of traumatic injury is relatively common and can occur in anything from an auto accident to a slip and fall injury. If trauma is applied to the top of the femur just below the hip socket, the femoral neck could break because this is a thin spot in the femur, compared to the rest of the bone. A femoral neck fracture, therefore, is a relatively common type of femur fracture.
Treatment of a Femoral Neck Fracture
Like any other bone fracture, the first step is going to be to image the fracture to see whether or not it has been displaced. If the fracture is minimal, the bone could still be in the proper anatomic alignment. If this is the case, the patient will be placed in a cast and immobilized for a period of several weeks to allow the bone to heal properly.
Complications may Occur
Because the femoral neck is a thin part of the bone, complications and comorbidities may develop. One of the complications that is particularly devastating is called avascular necrosis. This develops with this type of fracture if the blood vessels that supply blood to the femoral head are severed. If this happens, the bone cells could starve from a lack of oxygen.
Other Structures are at Risk
In addition to blood vessels, the nerves that run down the leg are also at risk. These nerves supply sensation to various parts of the leg and allow the leg to move in the proper manner. Damage to these nerves could result in a loss of these functions, damaging the patient’s quality of life.
Differential Diagnosis
With this injury, other diagnoses must be considered. Among these are:
- Femoral head fracture
- Femoral shaft fracture
- Hip fracture
- Hip dislocation
- Acetabuluar injury
Injury Prognosis
This is a common injury with a relatively bright prognosis. Injuries to other structures are unusual and displaced fractures only occur with major injuries.
Surgery is Rare
Because displaced fractures are relatively rare with this injury, surgery is also unusual. If there is damage to other structures or if the fracture has been displaced, surgery will be needed to put the bones back into proper alignment.
Contact a Caring Femur Fracture Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. Patients who have broken their femur in any location in an accident, may reach out to me for free, friendly and compassionate legal advice at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400.
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