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Fractured femur

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Spindles
Spindles

I slipped in the garden just under three weeks ago and fractured my left femur, it snapped into two pieces, half way between my hip and my knee. After dragging myself about 30 feet back into the house I was taken to hospital and the next day had a femoral nail put in it and told to start using it from the next day. After a week in hospital I was released and have been given an appointment to see the consultant towards the end of June. I was surprised that they've left me to my own devices with no real instructions on how much I should or shouldn't be doing but I am putting weight on it but not totally. I was on strong painkillers of 2x30mg codeine and 2x500mg paracetamol but stopped them yesterday as I was starting to have nightmares. There is still swelling at the top of my hip where the nail went in and I have pain there and in my knee where the screws went in but it's bearable and not half as painful as I thought it was going to be.

I just wondered if anyone else has had their fracture treated with the nail which, I have to say, is the best thing as I could have been immobile for weeks before I could even put weight on it but so far I am getting about and even managing a bit of washing up and even ironing. How long has it taken anyone to get back to normal or walk without a stick etc. Thanks for any information anyone can give.

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  • Jcat
    Jcat Spindles

    Posted

    How horrible for you! Sorry, I don't have any experience of your kind of fracture but I just wanted to wish you a speedy recovery and guess you should get plenty of rest!
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  • vicki67482
    vicki67482 Spindles

    Posted

    Hiya. I'm so sorry this happened to you and I hope you recover soon!! I have broken my femur and had a femoral nail twice so I know a lot about it. Are your bones touching where the break was or is there a gap and what are you using to walk with? What you can do depends on these answers. Let me know and I will try and help :-) Also you should be on an anti inflammatory for this type of injury and I would recommend naproxen. There are plenty of alternatives to codeine if you are in pain that are very good. Keep smiling!
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    • kristal50655
      kristal50655 vicki67482

      Posted

      Hi Vicky I was reading someone's post and you had commented on it and I have femur fracture surgery April 4th 2018 and when I was in the hospital they put the nail in me I stayed in there a week I came out and they they told me when I left there no weight bearing and I'm walking with a walker and it was really hard day today they put me out of the hospital with no pain medication and I don't know what to do now all the doctors that prescribe pain medication what's my question to you is you said something about is the bone separated with the nail in it or is it flushed together and I was just wondering why you would say that I really don't know about mine yet maybe this week I'll find out do they have is there a difference I would really really really appreciate your advice thank you so much I'm in terrible pain and it's so hard and I hope you're doing okay

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    • kristal50655
      kristal50655 vicki67482

      Posted

      Actually I'm not walking with a walker I'm using the Walker to get around eye I can barely put maybe 25% pressure on it I don't even know if I should be doing that no one's telling me nothing I feel like so stupid any advice you could give me would really be gratefully appreciate

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  • Spindles
    Spindles

    Posted

    Hi Vicki, nice to hear from you but to hear that you've had a femoral nail TWICE sounds horrendous,however did you manage to get two, not two breaks surely?  I have no idea about whether my bones are touching or if there is a gap as I have not seen anyone for the nearly seven weeks that have passed since I broke my leg. I saw the x ray and the two halves of the bone were side by side and there was a diagonal break but my husband said it had an L shape in it as well so i wasn't a completely straight forward break.  Presumably they would have x rayed it after having inserted the nail but I haven't been told that. I was discharged from hospital with sticks after having been told "full weight bearing" and have been left to get on with it.  I did contact the hospital physio about ten days ago and said I was worried about how much or how little I was doing and didn't want to see the consultant on two sticks and have him say that I should be walking with only one or even no sticks and she said that I would be better getting confident on two sticks rather than hobble in on one stick.  I can walk well with one stick and have taken several steps with no sticks but I don't know if I am doing more harm than good.    I've got the consultant on Monday and then on Friday I have to have a bone scan to check for osteoporosis (which I know I have) but I don't know whether I will have an x ray on my leg to see how it's healing.  I am still getting aches in my knee and/or in my hip and some days are worse than others and I don't know if this is normal or not.  When you have a tooth out or drops in your eyes they give you an information sheet for things to look out for if things go wrong but I find it incredible that after a big operation and with huge bruises on my leg etc. I was given absolutely no information whatsoever.

    You asked what I was using to walk with, as I said just two sticks. My friend lent me her three wheeled trolley/walker which makes it easier to carry things around but I usually just use the sticks or one stick so I can carry things.   As for pain relief, I have given up on the strong paracetamol and codeine tablets and if I need something I take Solpadeine which is the same but with less codeine or even just take paracetamol, sometimes I don't need to take anything, it depends on how much I've been doing.  I've managed to do vacuuming, sweeping and ironing so I'm trying to get back to normal but just wish I knew if I was doing too much. I've read that doing too much too soon can cause a lot of problems which is why I am looking forward to seeing the consultant on Monday when I will either be admired for recovering so quickly or told off for doing far too much!

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  • Guest
    Guest Spindles

    Posted

    Hello my name is ngawang im 20 yr old i had a femur fracture due to bike crash on 4 may n had im nail done on 6 its been almost 5 months now i still cant walk normally im using a stick for now i had one screw removed of hip on 3 month but my bottom screw near the knee is still paining problems im facing right now are i cant fully bend my knee like the other leg n i cant stretch my leg straight 180 degree i have been doing physo for almost 3 months now i ws just wondering how long it will still take to fully recover 😭 I wnna run n play football again

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    • Spindles
      Spindles Guest

      Posted

      Hi, sorry to hear that you broke your femur and that you're still having problems.  I know that it was quite a long time that I had a limp and know that I was walking without a stick after about five months and certainly when I saw the consultant after seven months when he told me that the break had healed.  If you're having trouble with the screw near your knee then I'm sure that you will have relief if you have that one removed as well.  I was never told to have physiotherapy so I would bend and stretch my leg several times a day and tried to walk as normally as possible but I had a limp for quite a while after but I'm sure that moving it as much as possible helped.  I wonder if you would be better not using the stick and walking without relying on it for support.  You are much younger than me as you are 20 but I was 68 when I broke my leg so I will never want to run and play football but you obviously want to get back to doing it as soon as possible and while I wouldn't suggest you did any running straight away you may strengthen your leg by not using the stick as I was told that putting full weight on it helps it heal quicker. Can you go back to the doctor and ask about having the screw removed so at least you get some relief.  I'm afraid I can't give you a time when you will be able to run and play football but I would have thought that you will be back to doing that about a year after you broke your leg.  Hope this helps. 

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    • Guest
      Guest Spindles

      Posted

      Tnq u for replying me and i am sorry for replying too late nw its almost 7 months on 6 nov i had an xray from two diff angle from one side the break is bak to one piece thr r visible new bones almost attached but on the other angle its same like it ws before not much improvmnt thr is still gap between the bone i was wondering how longer would tht take to join other thn tht the bending n straightning problm is gone only pain right nw im experiencing is the pain near the hips whr the rod is inserted kinda feels like its rubbing or causing friction like sensation inside thr which is causing pain but bearablen cz of this lil prob i cnt sit in a meditation posture 😁Thts it n im walking without any sticks yaaaayyy 😗😬😊

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  • Spindles
    Spindles

    Posted

    Sorry ngawang, just found your message.   You said that you had had one screw removed from your hip so perhaps the feeling you are getting is from the end of the other screw rubbing on something.  I had instant relief when I had them removed so perhaps you could see about having that done.  If your knee is causing problems as well then you would get relief by having the bottom one removed at the same time.  I don't know why only one side of the bone would be healed and not the other, maybe that's something else you could ask if or when you see the doctor again.  Sorry if this isn't much help and hope you sort it out soon.

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  • julia75685
    julia75685 Spindles

    Posted

    Hi everyone

    I had my femur fractured on December 26th 2016 and was operated the next day. I have a nail and three screws to fix the fracture.

    It's been 7 weeks since the surgery and I can't really do much.

    My bad luck was that prior to the fractured femur I had my left ankle broken. So one day after getting up from the sofa I lost balance and fell down badly which led to the fracture of the right femur.

    Because of both legs being fractured I was delayed in getting up and move around.

    As of today I can walk with a walker but I need someone around me. I still have the cast on my left leg for the fractured ankle and that makes my walking quite difficult.

    I put partial weight on the leg with the fractured femur ...I still have pain, I can feel the screws and gives a very weird feeling.

    I do realized that as the bone heals I was able to move my leg more comfortable without having any physical so far.

    I am not quite sure how long will this struggle go on like this and would like to hear any experience.

    Thank you

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    • nikki_94529
      nikki_94529 julia75685

      Posted

      Hi julia75685,

      what a coincidence! I broke my femur on Boxing Day 2016 too! Its' tough going sometimes isn't it? I have a femoral nail too but need a new one when i have the rest of my femur fixed as my fracture is comminuted. I really hope you have a speedy recovery and that your ankle is going to be well. Best wishes Nikki

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    • julia75685
      julia75685 nikki_94529

      Posted

      Hi Nikki

      That's a quite of a.coincidence. I hope you are doing fine. I am completing almost 3 months since the injury and the surgery and I can say I do little better. I started using the walker on my own. Started some exercises at home. Knee flexion isn't quite ok as of now ...with some effort reached 80 degrees.

      Got appointment this coming Thursday with the physiotherapist. Some calcification is seen on the xray but still long way to go.

      How is your progress as of now?

      Regards

      Julia

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    • nikki_94529
      nikki_94529 julia75685

      Posted

      Hi there,  nice to hear from you. I'm please you have some progress - it's so hard isn't it, I have total respect for all you are going through ! I only have 30 degrees bend on the knee and have an MRI this coming Sunday. I also have some calcification showing on the femur, the lisfranc fracture is healed but still so painful which is typical. I'm going to physio for the first time on Tuesday and hope to be upgraded to use crutches! Are you scared travelling? I am, stupidly so... damn well relive it all when in a car, so will have counselling at some point I hope. Are you in the U.K.? 

      Best wishes for a strong recovery

      Nikki

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    • julia75685
      julia75685 nikki_94529

      Posted

      It's been difficult. I had broken right femur and broken left ankle. Both my legs broken neutral . I am coping with these injuries since November one after another. However since the cast was removed from the left ankle 3 weeks ago I can practice walking more. Got appointment with the physio this week to find out what I can do to improve the muscle tone. Hope to start driving soon. I still don't feel confident to walk with crutches, walker feels safer.

      I stopped taking painkillers on regular basis and only when it's needed. But still continue to take lots of supplements. ..vitD vitC calcium protein shake and recently I came across a study recommending omega 3 (fish oil) as it helps the inflammation and helps the remodeling of the bone making it stronger.

      I am a European who currently reside in Kuwait.

      Hope things will be better for us soon.

      All the best and take a good care of yourself.

      Regards

      Julia

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