What are the common conditions and disorders that affect the femur?
The most common issues that affect femurs are fractures, osteoporosis and patellofemoral pain syndrome.
Femur fractures
A bone fracture is the medical term for breaking a bone. Because femurs are so strong, they’re usually only broken by serious injuries like car accidents, falls or other traumas. Symptoms of a fracture include:
- Pain.
- Swelling.
- Tenderness.
- Inability to move your leg like you usually can.
- Bruising or discoloration.
- A deformity or bump that’s not usually on your body.
Go to the emergency room right away if you’ve experienced a trauma or think you have a fracture.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis weakens bones, making them more susceptible to sudden and unexpected fractures. Many people don’t know they have osteoporosis until after it causes them to break a bone. There usually aren’t obvious symptoms.
Women, people assigned female at birth and adults older than 50 have an increased risk for developing osteoporosis. Talk to your provider about a bone density screening that can catch osteoporosis before it causes a fracture.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome
Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is pain around and under your kneecap (patella). It’s sometimes called runner’s or jumper’s knee. PFPS can be caused by everything from overusing your knees to getting new shoes. Symptoms of PFPS include:
- Pain while bending your knee, including squatting or climbing stairs.
- Pain after sitting with your knees bent.
- Crackling or popping sounds in your knee when standing up or climbing stairs.
- Pain that increases with changes to your usual playing surface, sports equipment or activity intensity.
Talk to your provider if you’re experiencing new pain in your knee.
What tests are done on femurs?
The most common test done to check the health of your femur is a bone density test. It’s sometimes called a DEXA or DXA scan. A bone density test measures how strong your bones are with low levels of X-rays. It’s a way to measure bone loss as you age.
If you’ve experienced a femoral fracture your provider or surgeon might need imaging tests, including:
What are common treatments for femurs?
Usually, your femur won’t need treatment unless you’ve experienced a fracture or have been diagnosed with osteoporosis.
Femur fracture treatment
How your fracture is treated depends on which type it is and what caused it. You’ll need some form of immobilization, like a splint or cast, and will probably need surgery to realign (set) your bone to its correct position and secure it in place so it can heal.
Osteoporosis treatment
Treatments for osteoporosis can include exercise, vitamin and mineral supplements and medications.
Exercise and taking supplements are usually all you’ll need to prevent osteoporosis. Your provider will help you develop a treatment plan that’s customized for you and your bone health.
FAQs
It supports your weight, stabilizes the body, and helps you move. Other issues that can affect the femur include osteoporosis and patellofemoral pain syndrome.
What is the function of the femur thigh bone? ›
Your femur has several important jobs, including: Holding the weight of your body when you stand and move. Stabilizing you as you move. Connecting muscles, tendons and ligaments in your hips and knees to the rest of your body.
What is the anatomy of the femur? ›
The femur is the longest, heaviest, and strongest human bone. At the proximal end, the pyramid-shaped neck attaches the spherical head at the apex and the cylindrical shaft at the base. There are also two prominent bony protrusions, the greater and lesser trochanter, that attach to muscles that move the hip and knee.
What are the 3 features of the femur? ›
The femur acts as the site of origin and attachment of many muscles and ligaments, and can be divided into three parts; proximal, shaft and distal. Proximal Femur: Composed of the head, neck, greater trochanter and lesser trochanter.
What is the hardest bone in your body? ›
The hardest bone in the human body is the jawbone. The human skeleton renews once in every three months. The human body consists of over 600 muscles. Human bone is as strong as steel but 50 times lighter.
Can a femur heal without surgery? ›
Most femoral shaft fractures require surgery to heal. It is unusual for femoral shaft fractures to be treated without surgery. Very young children are sometimes treated with a cast.
What is the main function of the thigh? ›
The thigh muscles allow the lower body to bend, flex and rotate. They also bear most of the body's weight, and keep the hips and legs aligned, in addition to providing and assisting with balance. Thigh muscles can be grouped based on their function and location: Adductors.
What is the most common injury to the femur? ›
Fractures of the femoral shaft are one of the most common injuries treated by orthopedic surgeons. These fractures are often associated with polytrauma and can be life-threatening.
Why is the femur the worst bone to break? ›
Your femur — the leg bone between your hip and knee — is the longest, heaviest and strongest bone in your body. It takes tremendous force to break your femur. If you break your femur, you will need immediate medical help. Your broken femur can take months to heal.
What is the weakest bone in your body? ›
The weakest and softest bone in the human is the clavicle or collar bone. Because it is a tiny bone which runs horizontally across your breastbone & collarbone, it is simple to shatter.
The most common problems that affect the femur are fractures, osteoporosis, and patellofemoral pain syndrome. As the strongest bone in your body, your femur can support as much as 30 times your body weight. Because it's so strong, it usually takes a lot of force to break or fracture it.
How long does it take to heal a broken femur? ›
Recovery most often takes 4 to 6 months. The length of your recovery will depend on how severe your fracture is, whether you have skin wounds, and how severe they are.
How painful is a broken femur? ›
Severe and immediate pain following an accident, collision, or fall. An inability to put weight on an injured leg. The crooked appearance of an injured leg.
What is the most painful bone to break? ›
The femur is often put at the top of the most painful bones to break. Your femur is the longest and strongest bone in your body, running from your hip to your knee. Given its importance, it's not surprising that breaking this bone is an incredibly painful experience, especially with the constant weight being put on it.
What is the rarest bone to break? ›
Hyoid bone fractures represent 0.002% of all fractures; they are rare because the hyoid bone is well-protected by its location in the neck behind the mandible and in front of the cervical spine, as well as its mobility.
What is the most fragile part of the body? ›
We must remember that the most delicate organ in the human body is the brain. Brain is one of the largest and most complex organs of the human body and is made up of more than 100 billion nerves. Brain controls speech, thought, memory, movement and helps in the functioning of many organs in the human body.
Does a broken femur always require surgery? ›
Most people with a fractured femur need some sort of surgery, usually ORIF. Without the surgery, your broken femur may not heal properly. ORIF can place your bones back into their proper configuration. This significantly increases the chance that your bone will heal properly.
