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Chapter 119 - Fractures of the femoral shaft

from Section 24 - Orthopedic Surgery

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 September 2013

By
William M. Reisman
Edited by
Michael F. Lubin ,
Thomas F. Dodson  and
Neil H. Winawer
Michael F. Lubin
Affiliation:
Emory University, Atlanta
Thomas F. Dodson
Affiliation:
Emory University, Atlanta
Neil H. Winawer
Affiliation:
Emory University, Atlanta
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Summary

The femur is the largest bone in the body and has a large soft tissue muscle mass surrounding it. The femoral shaft includes the region 5 cm below the lesser trochanter and 9 cm above the knee joint, and is termed the diaphysis. The estimated incidence of fractures of the femoral shaft in the USA is around one fracture per 10,000 persons per year. There is a bimodal age distribution of femur fractures with one peak in the 20s and one peak in the 60s.

Most femur fractures tend to occur secondary to high-energy trauma such as motor vehicle accidents, pedestrians struck by vehicles, falls from a height, or gunshots. The force required to fracture a femur may also cause a multitude of other associated injuries, most commonly to the head and chest. Therefore, a thorough and complete evaluation by a systematic protocol is warranted followed by any needed resuscitation. High-energy femoral shaft fractures may lose up to 1–3 units of blood into the thigh musculature causing hemodynamic instability, so close monitoring is indicated.

Type
Chapter
Information
Medical Management of the Surgical Patient
A Textbook of Perioperative Medicine
 , pp. 721 - 723
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2013

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References

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