Femoral fractures

The femur is the longest and strongest bone of the human body, with the paramount function of providing weight bearing of the body during different actions such as walking and running. The femur is typically divided into different anatomical districts based on their shape, function and location; the proximal part, composed of the femoral head, the neck and the trochanters, articulates with the pelvis to form the hip joint; the shaft, cylindrical in form, provides the origin and insertion of multiple muscles; and the distal part, is composed by the two condyles that articulate with the shin and the patella to shape the knee joint. Fractures affecting this bone can lead to significantly different symptomatology depending on the injured district, mechanism and severity of the fracture. Due to the femoral bone’s high resilience, these injuries are typically due to high-energy traumatic events in young and healthy populations, such as motor vehicle accidents. In older populations, or in subjects affected by specific conditions that make the bone more fragile (e.g.: osteoporosis), femur fractures can happen also with low-energy mechanisms such as a fall. Due to the different injury mechanisms, patients can report significantly different symptomatology. Patients typically present with pain that can be localised or radiated in the leg, severe swelling, large bruise, potential deformity of the leg, and significantly impaired functioning (e.g.: moving the leg, standing, walking, etc). Aside from collecting data from the injury mechanisms and performing a physical assessment of the patient, an imaging examination (e.g.: x-ray and computed tomography) is required to optimally visualise the fracture specifics.