Supracondylar Fracture of the Knee
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. The femur is a large bone that has a host of vulnrabilties for injury. One of the possible locations is in the supracondylar region of the femur. This is also known as the supracondylar region of the knee.
What is a Supracondylar Fracture of the Knee?
The femur meets the knee at areas called the condyles. The area just above these condyles is called the supracondylar region. A bone fracture in this location is termed a supracondylar fracture of the femur or the knee.
Mechanism of Injury
A traumatic injury to the knee in an auto accident could lead to a supracondylar fracture of the knee; for example: dashboard knee. When someone’s knee collides with the dashboard during an abrupt stop, the impact can easily lead to this type of injury. In addition, a slip and fall injury could lead to direct trauma to the knee itself, also causing this type of a femur fracture.
Treatment of a Supracondylar Fracture of the Knee
Because of the location of this fracture, it is important to immobilize the joint to prevent any further injury to the nearby structures. After this, the patient will likely receive a set of x-rays to make sure the femur and the knee are imaged completely. Once all of the fractures have been identified, the patient will be immobilized in a cast for a period of weeks to allow the bones to heal properly. Often, patients will require intense physical therapy to restore the full range of motion to their knee. This could be a long process.
Complications may Occur
One of the complications or comorbidities that could develop down the road is arthritis. Any damage to the cartilage in or around the supracondylar area can weaken the cushion between the bones and lead to arthritis down the line.
Other Structures are at Risk
While the nerves could be injured in this type of a femur fracture, the ligaments of the knee are also at risk. The ACL, MCL, LCL, and PCL are all at risk with any fracture in this location. One of the bone fragments could break off and tear one of these ligaments, leading to knee instability.
Differential Diagnosis
The differential diagnosis for a supracondylar fracture of the knee is wide. Some of the other possibilities include:
- Fracture of the malleoli
- Patella tendon injury
- Femoral neck fracture
- Intertrochanteric Femur Fracture
- Femoral shaft fracture
Injury Prognosis
A supracondylar fracture of the knee can have a poor prognosis if there is associated damage to the knee ligaments. If it is only a minor fracture, it could heal in a matter of a few weeks.
Surgery is Possible
Any tears in the associated knee ligaments will require surgery to be fixed. Furthermore, if the bones have been displaced, this will need to be repaired surgically as well.
Sacramento Femur Fracture Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. If you’ve been hurt in an automobile accident, please call me for free, friendly advice at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400.
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