Your femur is the toughest bone in your body; it can withstand a lot of wear-and-tear. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t break under the right circumstances. When your child suffers a femur fracture, it’s often due to sports or direct trauma to the bone. Because they’re still growing, this type of fracture presents a specific challenge for recovery.
At University of Toledo Physicians, our team is well-versed in many types of fractures, including those sustained by kids. If your child has a femur fracture, Dr. Nabil Ebraheim offers fast and efficient care to realign the bone and prevent other issues.
The femur is extremely strong, withstanding a lot of pressure day in and day out. This is especially true in kids, who are active much of the time.
If your child has a femur fracture, they’ll likely have symptoms. Depending on where the fracture is located on the femur determines the types of symptoms they’ll experience. A few of the common symptoms include:
In some cases, your child may not complain of much pain in their leg. However, if your child has groin pain and seems to be favoring one side, it could be a sign of a femoral neck fracture.
Femur fractures in kids can have devastating consequences, which is why it’s vital to get treatment early. Dr. Ebraheim and his team are well-versed in children's fractures, femurs included.
There are several things as a parent you should know about femur fractures. These facts help you identify a fracture early on, so your child can get treatment as soon as possible. Five important facts to know about this type of broken bone include:
This is especially true with femoral neck fractures. This type of femur fracture typically happens to runners and those who put extreme stress on their legs.
Females are more likely to suffer a femur fracture because of the female athlete triad. This happens when girls have disordered eating, osteoporosis, and amenorrhea. It’s caused by overtraining and wanting a perfect physique.
If your child is a runner and complains of groin pain, it could be from a femoral neck fracture. This may not show up on an X-ray right away, especially if your child is a girl. The female athlete triad leads to decreased bone density, resulting in stress fractures of the femur.
The femoral neck is prone to stress fractures, especially in athletes. Any part of the femur can be broken, by stress or by direct trauma. However, femoral neck fractures are often from repeated stress on the bone.
A displaced fracture is an emergency, especially when it happens in kids. If left untreated, it can cause avascular necrosis of the bone and a failure to knit together properly. For this type of fracture, Dr. Ebraheim needs to perform a reduction of the fracture and fixation with screws.
If your child is complaining of pain around their groin or thigh, a femur fracture could be the culprit. Dr. Ebraheim offers fast and efficient diagnosis of your child’s injury to speed up the treatment process.
Dr. Ebraheim evaluates the fracture to determine the best route of treatment. The type of orthopedic treatment depends on the severity of the fracture and where it’s located.
In some cases of a non-displaced, mild fracture, casting may be all that’s needed to allow your child’s femur to heal. However, if they have a displaced fracture, or if the bone is in several pieces, Dr. Ebraheim needs to do surgery to fix the break.
Surgery typically involves screws and plates to put the bone back together. These secure the bone into its original position to allow it to heal normally. This may take several months, and your child will likely need physical therapy to get back to their normal activities.
If you suspect your child has a femur fracture, don’t hesitate to call our office at 419-383-3761, or request an appointment online today. You can also learn more about lower extremity fractures on our YouTube channel.
