Due to the strength of the bone, a femur fracture is not very common. I have seen that the most common cause of this rare injury is a high speed auto accident. As the longest, strongest and heaviest bone in the human body, only a force of great magnitude can cause a femur to fracture. Because of this, if a car accident does cause the injury, you can be sure that it was of a very serious nature.
Car accidents are the leading cause of femur fracture because of the high speeds they can reach on the road. A car covers over 100 feet per second when it is going 70 miles per hour, which means that a driver needs to always be focused on driving. Looking away at a cell phone or radio for just a split second is all it takes to cause a dangerous auto accident. This kind of mistake is all too common, which is why we see so many impact collisions that result in a femur fracture.
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Shortly after an injury of this magnitude, there will be clear evidence of the fracture in the form of swelling, pain and deformity in the thigh. The victim of a femur fracture will most likely be unable to walk or even put any weight on the injured leg at all. In certain cases, the injury can cause the femur to break through the skin, resulting in an open wound and bleeding. There can be long term effects resulting from this kind of injury as well. Surgery may be necessary, which could impair one’s ability to walk normally. Treatment recommended depends on the severity of the fracture. Usually, the surgeon must put the pieces of the bone back into position and sometimes use a device to hold the femur in place while it heals. Recovery time could last up to 6 months.