What happens when the neck of the femur is fractured?
A femoral neck fracture can tear the blood vessels and cut off the blood supply to the femoral head. If the blood supply to the femoral head is lost, the bone tissue will die (a process called avascular necrosis), leading to the eventual collapse of the bone.
What causes fractured neck of femur?
Neck of femur fractures are typically caused either by low energy injuries (the most common type), such as a fall in frail older patient, or high energy injuries, such as a road traffic collision or fall from height and are often associated with other significant injuries.
How long does fractured neck of femur take to heal?
At some point, you may need physical therapy to restore strength and flexibility to your muscles. Doing your exercises as prescribed can improve your chances for a full recovery. Most femoral fractures take about 4 to 6 months to heal completely, but you should be able to resume many activities before this time.
How long does it take a femoral neck fracture to heal?
Full recovery from a femur fracture can take anywhere from 12 weeks to 12 months. But you are not alone. Most people experiencing a femur fracture can begin walking with the help of a physical therapist in the first day or two after injury and/or surgery.
What is a femoral neck fracture?
The femoral neck connects the femoral shaft with the femoral head. The hip joint is the articulation of the femoral head with the acetabulum. The junctional location makes the femoral neck prone to fracture. The blood supply of the femoral head is an essential consideration in displaced fractures as it runs along the femoral neck.
Why is the blood supply important in a femoral neck fracture?
The blood supply of the femoral head is an essential consideration in displaced fractures as it runs along the femoral neck. Etiology Femoral neck fractures are associated with low energy falls in the elderly.
How is a femoral neck stress fracture diagnosed?
Computed tomography (CT) scan – helps better classify the fracture pattern or delineate a subtle fracture line. It is part of the trauma assessment and can be extended to include the femoral neck. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – not generally used in the acute setting but may be used to evaluate for femoral neck stress fractures.
What is the Garden classification for a femoral neck fracture?
The Garden classification system is used to rate the severity of a femoral neck fracture. There are four stages, or types, with type I being the least severe (an incomplete, non-displaced fracture; a partial break) and type IV being the most severe (a complete, fully-displaced fracture; bones are separated and out of alignment).