What is an Intra-Articular Femur Fracture?
Femur fractures come in many different types. The words that are used to describe the femur fracture are essential because they help both the family and the medical staff understand the severity of the injury. By understanding some basic information about the various types of femur fractures, individuals and their loved ones will have a better idea of just how serious the injury is. Some of the descriptors that are commonly used to describe a femur fracture include:
- Open: An open femur fracture is an injury where one or more fragments of bone are protruding through the skin and into the outside world.
- Comminuted: A comminuted femur fracture has broken into multiple pieces that resemble splinters.
- Compound: A compound femur fracture has broken in more than one place.
- Displaced: A displaced femur fracture is an injury where the bones have been moved from their proper anatomic location.
- Proximal: A proximal femur fracture means the bone has been broken closer to the hip than the knee.
- Distal: A distal femur fracture occurs closer to the knee than the hip.
One particularly complicated femur fracture is called an intra-articular femur fracture.
What is an Intra-Articular Femur Fracture?
The femur is one of the largest bones in the body and joins the knee to form a hinge joint. Sometimes, femur fractures can occur close to the knee. When that happens, it is called an intra-articular femur fracture. The femur and the knee may fracture and splinter into many parts. These splinters can damage the cartilage in the bone. If the cartilage is damaged, this can make the fracture particularly challenging to treat. Often, these injuries require surgery to repair not only the femur but the knee as well.
Treatment of an Intra-Articular Femur Fracture
If the doctor has determined that the femur fracture is intra-articular in nature, the treatment will often require surgery. Some of the goals of this operation include:
- Removing the bone fragments from the cartilage.
- Repairing the cartilage as much as possible.
- Reducing the femur fracture.
- Immobilizing the bone fragments in the proper anatomic position.
- Repairing any damage to the knee such as the patella and the ligaments.
If too much of the cartilage has been damaged, this could remove a lot of the cushion in the knee. When this happens, this could lead to the development of arthritis and chronic pain. Therefore, those who are recovering from an intra-articular femur fracture should be sure to enroll in physical therapy.
Watch YouTube Video: Physical Therapy. In this video, a physical therapist discusses what to expect from physical therapy sessions and how to achieve rehab goals.
Contacting an Injury Lawyer
Families who are dealing with a complicated femur fracture should seek medical care as quickly as possible. Then, they should consider speaking with a femur fracture lawyer in Sacramento. Some of the benefits that an injury attorney could provide include:
- Working with families interested in pursuing damages related to the fracture and its complications.
- Speaking with financial institutions to ensure that bills are paid on time.
- Shifting a case to trial when required.
Families are never alone during such a difficult time. Discuss your case with a Sacramento femur fracture lawyer as soon as possible. You could be owed a sizeable monetary compensation.
Sacramento Femur Fracture Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Femur Fracture Lawyer in Sacramento. An intra-articular femur fracture is a challenging injury to repair and could lead to a functional deficit. If you or a loved one has had trouble with the healing process following a major femur fracture, contact me as soon as possible at (800) 404-5400 or (916) 921-6400 for free, friendly legal advice.
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