A fracture or damage on the thigh bone is usually called a femur fracture. It is a common injury among athletes who are competing in contact sports such as football, mixed martial arts, kickboxing, and other related activities. The injury is very painful in that it will disrupt any training program due to the discomfort the condition brings to a patient. In addition, the leg would be unable to provide any movement as soon as the athlete is struck with the injury. The best thing to do is to stay on the ground and ask for medical assistance.

Aside from being acquired as a traumatic fracture, it can also be obtained as a stress fracture which basically means that it is from repetitive use or overuse of the femur in a strenuous activity. Regardless of the cause, proper and immediate medical action should be given to a patient suffering from the injury to prevent additional damages to the thigh bone.

Any person especially an athlete can tell that the femur is fractured due to the obvious signs and symptoms associated with such an injury. The first thing that you will feel as soon as a femur fracture has been acquired is severe pain on the affected thigh. It would be very difficult to move the damaged leg unlike in a muscle tissue injury where you can still perform movement. A physical irregularity such as a deformity on the fractured thigh is significant. You will also feel a sudden swelling on the affected area of your lower limb. Critical conditions which show signs of bruising, numbness and coldness on the lower limb(s) indicate that nerves and blood vessels are also damaged during the accident.

There is no single treatment for fracture as the cure depends on various factors such as the medical condition and age of the person in need of recovery and healing. Immobilization, cold compress, and a lot of rest are basically among the necessary procedures any patient should keep during the period of rehabilitation. Medications are also prescribed as the patient could not stand the painful experience without any anti-inflammatory and pain relievers. Children who incurred fracture bones on their thigh would require casting on the legs to immobilize and help with the recovery process. Adults on the other hand do not require such method unless advised by the doctor.

Recovering from a femur fracture will take a long time which means that the athlete will be off the game for a long period of time. Athletes usually take surgery in order to hasten the healing and recovery process. In a surgery, pinning and plating methods are usually done on the bone to help with the fast recovery. This process allows the thigh bone to heal properly and in alignment. This process would reduce any possible risk of deformity when the bone heals. As soon as the fracture is in good condition has recovered from the injury, the pins and plates are immediately removed. Stretching and strengthening exercises are then performed to bring back the mobility and flexibility of the lower limbs.