Femur Fracture Treatment & Management

  • Author: James E Keany, MD, FACEP; Chief Editor: Rick Kulkarni, MD   more...
 
Updated: Jan 21, 2011
 

Prehospital Care

  • Prehospital personnel should splint the extremity in the position it was found. If signs of neurovascular compromise are observed, the limb may be reduced after administering adequate analgesia. Well-aligned fractures, with or without neurovascular injury, can be immobilized by using a traction device. Hare or Thomas traction splints are most commonly used.
  • Apply wet sterile dressings over an open fracture. If the wound is grossly contaminated, sterile saline irrigation may be used to remove large contaminants.
Next

Emergency Department Care

  • Fracture reduction and immobilization
    • Reduce fractures to near-anatomic alignment by using in-line traction. This reduces pain and helps prevent hematoma formation. Hold reduction by a traction device (eg, Hare, Buck) or long-leg posterior splint.
    • Pneumatic splint may have additional benefits of reducing blood loss by direct pressure and tamponade of hematoma formation. Traction is often required to hold the femur out to length because of contraction of large muscle mass in the thigh.
  • Pain management: Pain management is the most significant intervention of the emergency physician. Use parenteral opiate-type analgesics to the extent that respiratory and circulatory parameters allow. Intravenous administration allows for the most reliable titration to pain relief while providing ready access for reversal agents (ie, naloxone) if necessary.
  • Infection prophylaxis: With open fractures, administer tetanus toxoid (unless given within 5 y) and use antibiotics with excellent staphylococcal coverage and good tissue penetration. Often, a first-generation cephalosporin (ie, cefazolin sodium) is administered in combination with gentamicin.
  • Other: In addition to maintenance intravenous fluids, patients suspected of significant blood loss should be resuscitated with crystalloids. Place a Foley catheter, and restrict all patients to taking nothing by mouth (NPO) until seen by an orthopedic surgeon.[6]
Previous
Next

Consultations

  • Emergently consult an orthopedic surgeon.
  • Evidence of vascular or progressing neurologic compromise should prompt emergent consultation with a vascular surgeon. In some hospitals, the general surgeon may have privileges for vascular intervention.
Previous
Proceed to Medication
 
 
Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

James E Keany, MD, FACEP  Medical Director, TravelMDAssist; Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Services, Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center

James E Keany, MD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Sports Medicine, and California Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Dekker McKeever, DPM  Chief Podiatric Surgery Resident Physician, Trauma and Reconstruction Specialist, Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Francis Counselman, MD  Program Director, Chair, Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School

Francis Counselman, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Emergency Physicians, Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine (AACEM), Norfolk Academy of Medicine, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine

Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Tom Scaletta, MD  Chairperson, Department of Emergency Medicine, Edward Hospital; Past-President, American Academy of Emergency Medicine

Tom Scaletta, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

John D Halamka, MD, MS  Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Rick Kulkarni, MD 

Rick Kulkarni, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: WebMD Salary Employment

References

  1. Hogan TM. Hip and femur. In: Hart RG, Rittenberry TJ, Uehara DT, eds. Handbook of Orthopaedic Emergencies. Publishers: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1999:307-8.

  2. Braten M, Helland P, Myhre HO, Molster A, Terjesen T. 11 femoral fractures with vascular injury: good outcome with early vascular repair and internal fixation. Acta Orthop Scand. Apr 1996;67(2):161-4. [Medline].

  3. DiChristina DG, Riemer BL, Butterfield SL, Burke CJ 3rd, Herron MK, Phillips DJ. Femur fractures with femoral or popliteal artery injuries in blunt trauma. J Orthop Trauma. Dec 1994;8(6):494-503. [Medline].

  4. Salminen S, Pihlajamaki H, Avikainen V, Kyro A, Bostman O. Specific features associated with femoral shaft fractures caused by low-energy trauma. J Trauma. Jul 1997;43(1):117-22. [Medline].

  5. Alho A. Concurrent ipsilateral fractures of the hip and shaft of the femur. A systematic review of 722 cases. Ann Chir Gynaecol. 1997;86(4):326-36. [Medline].

  6. Starr AJ, Hunt JL, Reinert CM. Treatment of femur fracture with associated vascular injury. J Trauma. Jan 1996;40(1):17-21. [Medline].

  7. Baron JA, Karagas M, Barrett J, Kniffin W, Malenka D, Mayor M, et al. Basic epidemiology of fractures of the upper and lower limb among Americans over 65 years of age. Epidemiology. Nov 1996;7(6):612-8. [Medline].

  8. Harrington KD. Orthopaedic management of extremity and pelvic lesions. Clin Orthop. Mar 1995;(312):136-47. [Medline].

  9. Mohr VD, Eickhoff U, Haaker R, Klammer HL. External fixation of open femoral shaft fractures. J Trauma. Apr 1995;38(4):648-52. [Medline].

  10. Macnicol MF. Fracture of the femur in children. J Bone Joint Surg Br. Nov 1997;79(6):891-2. [Medline].

  11. Kanel JS. Treatment of fractures of the femur in children and adolescents. West J Med. Dec 1995;163(6):570. [Medline].

  12. Illgen R 2nd, Rodgers WB, Hresko MT, Waters PM, Zurakowski D, Kasser JR. Femur fractures in children: treatment with early sitting spica casting. J Pediatr Orthop. Jul-Aug 1998;18(4):481-7. [Medline].

  13. Blasier RD, Aronson J, Tursky EA. External fixation of pediatric femur fractures. J Pediatr Orthop. May-Jun 1997;17(3):342-6. [Medline].

  14. Clinkscales CM, Peterson HA. Isolated closed diaphyseal fractures of the femur in children: comparison of effectiveness and cost of several treatment methods. Orthopedics. Dec 1997;20(12):1131-6. [Medline].

  15. Mahaisavariya B, Laupattarakasem W. Late open nailing for neglected femoral shaft fractures. Injury. Oct 1995;26(8):527-9. [Medline].

  16. Robertson P, Karol LA, Rab GT. Open fractures of the tibia and femur in children. J Pediatr Orthop. Sep-Oct 1996;16(5):621-6. [Medline].

  17. Lefaivre KA, Starr AJ, Stahel PF, Elliott AC, Smith WR. Prediction of pulmonary morbidity and mortality in patients with femur fracture. J Trauma. Dec 2010;69(6):1527-35; discussion 1535-6. [Medline].

  18. Sartoretti C, Sartoretti-Schefer S, Ruckert R, Buchmann P. Comorbid conditions in old patients with femur fractures. J Trauma. Oct 1997;43(4):570-7. [Medline].

 
Previous
Next
 
Anteroposterior radiograph of a femur fracture in a 45-year-old man.
Anteroposterior radiograph of a femoral-shaft fracture in a 19-year-old man.
 
 
 
All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2012 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

DISCLAIMER: The content of this Website is not influenced by sponsors. The site is designed primarily for use by qualified physicians and other medical professionals. The information contained herein should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other health care provider. The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only. In no way should it be considered as offering medical advice. Please check with a physician if you suspect you are ill.