Why Equipment is Needed to Repair a Femur Fracture

Why Equipment is Needed to Repair a Femur Fracture

Those who sustained a femur fracture might need surgical equipment to repair their broken bone. You might be surprised to learn that this equipment often stays in place for the rest of that person’s life. Femur fractures are severe and can lead to serious complications. One of the most significant complications is the risk of suffering a re-fracture or breaking the bone a second time. Bones that have been broken once are more likely to fracture again and using surgical equipment, such as plates and screws, can prevent this from happening.

When is Surgery Needed to Repair a Femur Fracture?

There are some cases where surgery is required to repair a broken femur. While most people are familiar with using casts in the treatment of a bone fracture, the job of a cast is to immobilize the bones while they heal. If the bones are not properly aligned when the cast is put on, this will lead to malunion. In order to place the bones back in their proper position, surgery could be required. Some of the situations where surgery is needed to repair a femur fracture include:

  • An open fracture where a fragment of bone is poking through the skin.
  • A comminuted bone fracture where the femur has been shattered.
  • Displaced femur fractures where the fragments are not in the proper position based on imaging.

Using surgery, the bone fragments will be placed in their proper location; however, the fragments must be held in this position. This is where surgical equipment comes into play.

What is the Role of Surgical Equipment in the Repair?

An orthopedic surgeon will move the bone fragments into their proper position. After this, plates and screws are typically used to hold the fragments in that spot. Healthy pieces of bone are identified and screws are placed in these bones. The bone must be strong enough to withstand the force of drilling the screw into the bone. These screws are used to hold the plate in place. The job of the plate is to keep these bone fragments in place, preventing them from moving. After this, prior to closing the leg, imaging is often ordered to make sure that the bone fragments are aligned, that the screws and plates are secure, and that no fragments of bone have been overlooked. Typically, these screws and plates are left in place for life.

Complications of Plates and Screws in Femur Fractures

With the screws and plates in place, the femur can heal properly. On the other hand, this surgical equipment can lead to a few complications. Some of these include:

  • Infection of the plates and screws which could necessitate removal and reoperation
  • Pain from the screws and plates rubbing against the bone
  • The screws and plates could also come loose from the bone

Any of these complications must be addressed quickly by a trained orthopedic surgeon. Otherwise, these complications could get worse.

Watch YouTube Video: Distal Femur Plate – Distal Femur Locked Plate. The video below demonstrates how equipment such as screws and plates are used to repair a femur fracture.

Contacting an Experienced Injury Attorney

It can be hard to watch a loved one struggle after suffering a serious femur fracture in a motor vehicle collision. Having a loved one undergo surgery for the repair only makes the situation more challenging. Families need to know that help is available. Reaching out to a femur fracture lawyer in Sacramento is a great place to start. A few of the resources that can be provided by an experienced injury attorney include:

  • Serving as an objective professional who can help families make the right decisions during a hard time.
  • Assisting families in seeking damages that are related to the femur fracture, any of its complications, and even pain and suffering.
  • Working with accident reconstruction professionals who can better define what happened at the scene.
  • Moving a case to trial when required.

Families should not have to face this tough situation by themselves. Rely on the experience of a Sacramento femur fracture lawyer. You and your loved ones could be owed a significant financial award.

Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyers

I’m Ed Smith, a femur fracture lawyer in Sacramento. Often, serious femur fractures will require plates and screws to hold the bone fragments in place as they heal. If you or a member of your family sustained serious injuries, such as femur fracture, in a motor vehicle accident, please contact me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly legal advice.

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