Femoral fracture
A femoral fracture is a bone fracture that involves the femur. It includes hip fractures.
Classification
A femoral fracture that involves the femoral head, femoral neck or the shaft of the femur immediately below the lesser trochanter may be classified as a hip fracture, especially when associated with osteoporosis.
• Three types of femoral shaft fractures Type 1: Spiral or transverse Type 2: Comminuted Type 3: Open
Femoral shaft fractures can be classified with the Winquist and Hansen classification, which is based on the amount of comminution:[1]
- Grade I or 1: transverse or short oblique fractures with no comminution or a small butterfly fragment of less than 25% of width of the bone
- Grade II or 2: a comminuted with a butterfly fragment of 50% or less of the width of the bone
- Grade III or 3: comminuted with a large butterfly fragment of greater than 50% of the width of bone
- Grade IV or 4: Segmental comminution
Treatment
Treatment depends on the part of the femur that is fractured. Traction may be useful for femoral shaft fractures because it counteracts the force of the muscle pulling the two separated parts together, causing the two halves to rip through otherwise undamaged tissue. Traction is contraindicated in femoral neck fractures[2] and also when there is any other trauma to the leg.[3]
References
- ↑ Page 612 in: Title Surgical treatment of orthopaedic trauma. Authors: James P. Stannard, Andrew H. Schmidt, Philip J. Kregor. Publisher: Thieme, 2007. ISBN 1-58890-307-9, ISBN 978-1-58890-307-5
- ↑ Tintinalli, Judith E. (2010). Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide (Emergency Medicine (Tintinalli)). New York: McGraw-Hill Companies. ISBN 0-07-148480-9.
- ↑ AAOS. "29". In Andrew N. Pollak MD. FAAOS. Emergency Care and Transport of the Sick and Injured (Print) (10 ed.). Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett. pp. 1025–1031. ISBN 978-1-4496-3056-0.
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