Recovery Following a Femur Fracture
Fractures of the thighbone are severe because they can lead to serious complications, take a long time to heal, and could inhibit someone’s mobility even after the recovery process has completed. Some of the ways someone might fracture their femur include:
- Involvement in a severe motor vehicle accident.
- Falls from a great height, such as from a roof.
- Serious pedestrians versus auto accidents.
- Bicycle and motorcycle collisions.
Because of the size of the femur, the complications following a fracture could be serious. Furthermore, these complications could also lengthen the recovery process. This can make it hard for someone to walk again following a fracture.
Initial Treatment of a Femur Fracture
If an individual presents to the doctor with signs and symptoms of a femur fracture, the first steps include controlling the pain and obtaining imaging. Some of the images could include:
- X-rays of the hip, leg, and knees
- MRI scans of the legs
- CT scans of the femur
These images are relevant because they give information on not only the femur but also the surrounding structures such as the nerves, arteries, and blood vessels. When femur fractures occur in car accidents, the bones are often displaced. Surgery is used to put the femur back together and to repair the surrounding structures that might have been damaged. These include:
- The nerves of the leg
- Damaged blood vessels such as the femoral artery and vein
- Possible fractures of the hip and knee
After this, the recovery process will progress over several weeks to months.
Learning to Walk After a Femur Fracture
Once the bones have been put back into place, the leg will need time to heal. It takes several weeks for bone fractures to heal into solid bone. After this, physical therapy plays a crucial role in helping someone learn how to walk. Some of the steps in learning how to walk after a femur fracture include:
- Moving the leg with minimal to no pain.
- Strengthening the muscles of the thigh, such as the quads, to support the bone properly.
- Restoring flexibility and range of motion to the injured leg.
This process can take months. The prognosis will depend on the severity of the initial injury and the overall health of the individual.
Watch YouTube Video: Femur Fracture Recovery. This short video shows the recovery progress of a man who learned to walk again following a femur fracture.
Contacting a Femur Fracture Lawyer
Femur fractures are always severe. Following a femur fracture, the recovery process could be prolonged. It could be a long time before a loved one can walk again. During the recovery, individuals might not be able to go to work or attend school. This can place the entire family under a large amount of stress. Because of this, families deserve the help of a femur fracture lawyer in Sacramento. Some of the tools that a trained injury lawyer could share include:
- Working with car accident experts to piece together exactly what happened at the scene of the collision.
- Speaking with financial entities to ensure that families receive their benefits on time.
- Shifting a case to the courtroom when required.
Families should remember that they are not alone during this challenging time. Reach out to a Sacramento femur fracture lawyer. You could receive a significant monetary reward.
Femur Fracture Lawyers in Sacramento
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento femur fracture lawyer. Learning to walk after a severe fracture of the femur can be a challenge. If you or a member of your family has suffered complications after a fracture of the femur, please reach out to me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly legal advice.
I am a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and in the Top One Percent.
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Image Attribution: The image seen at the start of this post was found first on Pixabay.
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