Fractured femur
Posted , 25 users are following.
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.
4 likes, 65 replies
gerald74526 Spindles
Posted
Hey guys,
I have snapped my right femur in a motorcycle accident on the 29th January 2017. So basically I'm only at 2 weeks. I have had rod and pins also inserted to my leg. It was a clean snap and surgery went pretty well and all has been fixed. Main problem I am having right now is sleep. Post Surgery for the first week I was fine (Guessing the block was still going maybe? Didn't really have much pain) but now on the second week all I have had is constant pain in the groin and knee which has made it impossible for me to sleep. I only get 3 hours sleep a day if I'm lucky and that doesn't happen until like 7am in the morning when I take my next dosage of pain killers. Anyone else have the same problems?
Thanks
hans41943 gerald74526
Posted
gerald74526 hans41943
Posted
Following up post a week later I have finally had sleep 3 weeks post operation. Pain has finally gone down a lot which I'm happy about. Tomorrow will try giving it a go getting off the Oxycodone and see how the pain will go. Will post next week again see how I've gone following week.
nikki_94529 gerald74526
Posted
Good luck with your recovery. I'm 12 weeks into this journey of comminuted fractured femur and lisfranc foot fracture from a car crash on Boxing Day 2017 and often awake with pain. Let me know if you find any good tips!
regards
Nikki
LadyBlaze gerald74526
Posted
Hi, sorry about the pain and lack of sleep perhaps it's a normal thing cos weeks after the surgery I could hardly sleep cos of the pain.. Most times the pain gets worse from 12 or 1am and I don't get to sleep till around 4am or 5am which is when I take the next dose of painkiller. Although it got better with time, now I can sleep without painkillers unless when I'm in so much pain.
I hope this helps.
henpen1980 Spindles
Posted
Spindles
Posted
Just in case anyone is interested. My broken femur is now completely healed. After seven months I was back to normal apart from some trouble with the nail and screws that had been inserted. Unfortunately, seventeen months after the operation I had to have another to have the screws removed as they were causing me problems. They were slightly too long and were rubbing on my tendons at my knee and causing a grinding and crunching at my hip. This completely solved the problem and now I just have the metal rod in my leg as the bone had healed over it otherwise they would have taken the rod out as well. I have to say that if I was to break my leg again I would prefer it to be the femur as I only had two small dressings on the wounds, no plaster, no metalwork sticking out which is what appears to happen with a lower leg break. I won't be trying to break my leg again though!!
julia75685 Spindles
Posted
Really happy for you. I was hoping someone would post some updates and give us some idea on how long it would take the overall healing and how things are going to be in a long run.
I just copleted 3 months since I broke my femur. I had broken ankle on the other leg as well and that slowed me down. Slowly I am learning to be independent with my walker and trying to walk around the house without someone being around me. Got used to the weird feeling caused by the screws as well. Pain is getting better so hope that I will be able get back to work and routines by next month.
Wish you all the best
Take care
Julia
judyelaine Spindles
Posted
Thank you for your imput. I broke by leg 6/16. For recovery I have had plenty of PT, warm water aerobics, message therapy, and I walk a lot (with no aids) but I continue to have problems. The specialist I went to for advice said that my leg would finally accept the long screw and over time I would heal. Sorry, they can't possibly understand our pain and the situations that arise. You suggested having the screws removed because of the grinding and crunching - boy do I relate. I will ask around for an orthopedic who understands.
Thank you for speaking out!
judyelaine
Posted
Third opinion. Dr said that I would get used to the popping and grinding. he advised me not to have the pin taken out it could cause further damage but yet they don't understand what we're going through. Their Ortho's without knowing how to relate.
nikki_94529 julia75685
Posted
Hi Julia
i broke my femur 26 December 2016. I still have massive trouble because the bones haven’t united, but it was broken in many places & has big gaps between the breaks. I too have grinding sensations both top and bottom of my femur from the nail fixations. I use a wheelchair to get about shops etc,
but can just about manage to walk in my home.
18 months of finding an inner strength of who i really am is sometimes scary! There have been times when I haven’t wanted to live, other times I want my leg amputated so I can learn a new way of life, learn to rebalance and start again. I’ve just been referred to the limb reconstruction unit in Bristol, England, so next week I hear what their plans will be for treatment.
Good luck in your journey, stay strong in those horrid dark points of painful days. Nikki x
john3232 Spindles
Posted
I broke my femur on 5th feb 17, bike accident, the other guy was drunk and i was the victim. broken pretty bad and had an IM nail. Its been 8 weeks and i dont see those broken peices comming together. Ive been adviced to walk on a walker, partial weight bearing. I had my acl reconstruction on the same led itself. Surgeon advised to take out proximal nails to ensure faster recovey.. has anyone been through this so called DYNAMIZATION of tibial nail?? After removal how many days does it take to walk atleast on crutches?? Is it all normal?
Thanks.
julia75685 john3232
Posted
Hi John
I have exactly the same injuries like yours.
20 years back I had ACL reconstruction on my right knee and on December 26th 2016 I had a bad fall and I fractured the femoral bone on the same leg. I thought I was the only one with such bizarre injuries.
However, my advice is not to worry. 8 weeks is just too early to see any calcification on the xray as it takes at least 12 to 14 weeks to see the mineralization.
With regards to the knee the bad news is that knee always suffers in fractured femur and in our case having an ACL reconstruction it will take little longer to recover from the knee injury.
Make sure that you have the proper diet and take the right vitamins and minerals.I don't know why you were told to remove the nail. I also have IM nail with screws in the proximal and distal part. I was irritated by the implants but eventually got used to it.
I was told to start with partial weight from day one and walk as much as I can as this is making bones stronger and stimulates the mineralization.
It's almost 4 months since my injury and I started with light exercises to improve the movements in the knee. I also started to put more weight and expecting to use one crutch in few weeks.
Overall such injuries take long to heal so give it a time.
john3232 julia75685
Posted
Thanks for the reply. Guess im not all alone.
Well, i had my acl surgery on 22nd September 2016. Its Just 6 months and im literally worried about my knee giving away of that weaks quads, i have been strengthening my hamstrings. Still have a pricky pain in the knee.
So, should i take an second opinion? About this removal of nails? Ive been browsing and they found out removal of nails is the first thing to do if there is any delayed or non union of bones. Im 23yrs and overweight. Does this have to do anything?
Have an appointment in a week. Fingers crossed! Hope u get well soon
Thanks.
julia75685 john3232
Posted
It's really too early to judge a nonunion. Such condition can be confirmed only after 8 to 9 months of the fracture. So no need to assume as of now that this is the case. Usually it takes 4 months to feel better.
With regards to the implants it makes sense to keep them as they stabilize the bone and make the healing faster. With time you will get used to it.
For full recovery I have been told it may take a whole year .
To make sure that bone is healing you need to take at least vit D 5000IU , calcium 1200 mg, omega 3 and any multiminerals. Protein intake should be increased as well. These will not make things faster but at least you will make sure that healing is as expected and bone gets its minerals.
I never had problem with my bones but after the fracture they found extremely low levels of vit D and calcium.
Best of luck on your next doctor's visit and hope things get better for you.
john3232 julia75685
Posted
And i had an appointment today, 12 weeks till now and the gap is still the same. No mineralisation seen. Ive been told to remove those proximal screws of the IM nail, as it may help in fast healing of the bones. Dont know what might be the reason for this delayed union! Will this bone ever heal?
julia75685 john3232
Posted
Hi John
Sorry to hear that, but don't worry.
I remember it was almost 16 weeks after the injury when I could see some changes in the xray. Remember that the healing is happening but the newly formed material is like a cartilage which cannot be seen on xray and only when minerals start to accumulate on this structure you will be able to see the difference.
I know it's painful but early mobilization and walking are really helping alot in healing the fracture. I was walking with 2 broken legs at the same time, it's difficult but try. I just completed 5 months since I fractured my femor and still using the walker.
Hope to hear some better news from you soon
Take care
john3232 julia75685
Posted
Hey julia,
Thanks for your reply.
Atlast i had my proximal screws removed, dont know how that's going to work out for faster healing. My surgeon said to use crutches for one more month. Well i think the day is because of my smoking, not doing it now though. They say it slows down healing process. Lots of questions running up lately.
Im comfortable walking on a single crutcher but my good leg quads doesnt handle for a longer time. Hav an appointment in 4 days. Hope for the best.
john3232
Posted
john3232
Posted