How can I tell if I have a stress fracture in my femur?
A stress fracture of the shaft of the femur is characterised by a dull ache felt in the front of the thigh that will develop over a period of weeks. The pain is often hard to localise and may even be felt in the knee.
Can you walk on a hairline fracture femur?
Stress fractures are tiny cracks that develop in the weight-bearing bones. These are often caused by repetitive force to the bone such as during long marches, by repeatedly jumping up and down, or by running long distances. Because the cracks are tiny, you may be able to walk despite them, albeit painfully.
Can you walk with a femoral neck stress fracture?
Regardless of the grading all patients with a FNSF should cease all impact activities (running and jumping sports) for a minimum of 6 weeks. If there is any pain with walking, standing or the development of night pain, crutches will be required for a minimum of 3 weeks.
What are the signs and symptoms of acute femoral fractures?
Symptoms
- Inability to get up from a fall or to walk.
- Severe pain in your hip or groin.
- Inability to put weight on your leg on the side of your injured hip.
- Bruising and swelling in and around your hip area.
- Shorter leg on the side of your injured hip.
- Outward turning of your leg on the side of your injured hip.
What is the hop test for a stress fracture?
The single-leg hop test (A–D) is performed with the patient standing barefoot on a stable surface and instructing him or her to jump up and down several times. (C) Using both feet, he or she should jump several inches off the ground. Verbal cues, such as “take bunny hops,” are also helpful.
Can you fracture your femur and not know it?
A broken thighbone (femur) — the strongest bone in your body — usually is obvious because it takes so much force to break. But fractures of your shinbone (tibia) — the major weight-bearing bone in your lower leg — and the bone that runs alongside your tibia below your knee (fibula) may be more subtle.
How hard is it to fracture your femur?
The femur, the longest and strongest bone in the human body, is quite hard to break. Unless your bone has been weakened (most commonly the result of osteoporosis, medication side effects or cancer), it takes quite a lot of force to sustain a femur fracture.
What does a fractured femur feel like?
A femur fracture may cause extreme pain in the upper leg area or hip area. It also may cause lesser pain in the buttocks, knee, thigh, groin, or back. You may experience: Difficulty walking, or inability to walk, move the leg, or stand.
How painful is a femur fracture?
A femoral shaft fracture usually causes immediate, severe pain. You will not be able to put weight on the injured leg, and it may look deformed—shorter than the other leg and no longer straight.