How long does it take for a distal femur fracture to heal?

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 do you fix a distal femur fracture?

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 an ORIF of distal femur?

Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of a displaced distal femur fracture involves surgically fastening hardware to the bone so it heals in the correct position. The femur, commonly known as the thigh bone, is the largest bone located in the upper part of your leg.

What is distal femoral osteotomy?

An osteotomy is a surgical procedure that involves cutting of bone. The distal femur is part of the femur (thighbone) just above the knee joint. Distal femoral osteotomy is performed to correct knee alignment which can lead to excessive loading and degeneration of one side of the knee joint.

How common are distal femur fractures?

Distal femur fractures include fractures of the supracondylar and intercondylar region and are relatively common injuries.

Is ORIF a major surgery?

The bones are held together with hardware, such as metal pins, plates, rods, or screws. The hardware stays in your body permanently. Recovery from ORIF surgery can take from three to twelve months and often requires physical therapy. It is major surgery with the potential for complications.

Can you fully recover from a broken femur?

At some point, you may need physical therapy to restore strength and flexibility to your muscles. Doing your exercises as prescribed can improve your chances for a full recovery. Most femoral fractures take about 4 to 6 months to heal completely, but you should be able to resume many activities before this time.

What to expect after a distal femoral osteotomy?

The knee is placed in a range of motion brace until the bone has healed, and this is at least 2 months. Patients will spend at least one night in hospital and will be on antibiotics for at last 6 days, and a blood thinner. Patients are only allowed to partial weight bear for 2 months.

Can you run after distal femoral osteotomy?

All patients were able to return to sport at a mean of 11 months after surgery.

How painful is a distal femoral osteotomy?

Patients will complain of either an acute or chronic onset of pain at the outside of their knee. The pain is made worse with weight bearing activities.

How painful is an ORIF?

You can expect some pain and swelling around the cut (incision) the doctor made. This should get better within a few days after your surgery. But it is normal to have some pain for 2 to 3 weeks after surgery and mild pain for up to 6 weeks after surgery.

What are the possible disadvantages of an ORIF?

Cons. Drawbacks of ORIF can include infection, swelling, and mobility of the installed hardware. The recovery process can take several months, because bones grow slowly. Other factors that can affect recovery are the location and severity of the fracture, the age of the patient, and the type of bone broken.

Is a broken femur a serious injury?

A broken femur is a serious injury that requires immediate medical care. Broken femurs are treated with surgery and physical therapy. It can take months for your broken femur to heal. You can break your femur by being in a car crash, falling or being shot.