Description

A broken leg (leg fracture) is a break or crack in one of the bones in your leg. Common causes include falls, car accidents and sports injuries.

The treatment of a broken leg depends on the location and severity of the injury. A serious fracture in the leg may require metal pins and plates to hold the fragments together. Less severe breaks may be treated with a cast or splint. In all cases, prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential for complete healing.

Symptoms

The thigh bone (femur) is the strongest bone in the body. It is usually obvious when the femur is broken because it has so much force to break. But a break in the bone of the shin bone (tibia) or in the bone that runs alongside the shin bone (tibia) may be less evident.

The signs and symptoms of a fracture in the leg may include:

  • Severe pain, which may worsen with movement
  • Swelling
  • Tenderness
  • Bruising
  • Obvious deformity or shortening of the affected leg
  • Inability to walk

Young children or small children who may break a leg, you can begin to limp or just stop walking, even if they can't explain why.

When to see a doctor

If you or your child has any of the signs or symptoms of a fracture in the leg, seek medical attention immediately. Delays in diagnosis and treatment can result in future problems, including poor healing.

Seek emergency medical attention for any fracture in the leg of a high-impact trauma, such as a car or a motorcycle accident. Femur fractures are serious, life-threatening injuries that require emergency medical services to help protect the area from damage, and to ensure the security of the transfer to a local hospital.

Causes

A broken leg can be caused by:

  • Falls. A simple fall can fracture of one or both lower leg bones. A much greater impact is usually required to break the bone of the thigh.
  • Motor-vehicle accidents. The three bones of the leg can break during a motor vehicle accident. Fractures can occur when the knees are jammed up against the dashboard during a collision or damage to the car hitting your legs.
  • Sports injuries. Extend your leg out beyond their natural limits during contact sports can cause a broken leg. So can a fall or a direct blow, such as a hockey stick or an opponent's body.
  • Child abuse. In children, a broken leg can be the result of the abuse of children, especially when such an injury occurs before the child can walk.
  • The excessive use. Stress fractures are tiny cracks that develop on the weight-bearing bones of the body, including the bone of the shin. Stress fractures are usually caused by repetitive or excessive use of force, such as running long distances. But they may occur with regular use of a bone that has been weakened by a disease such as osteoporosis.

Risk factors

Stress fractures are often the result of repetitive stress to the bones of the leg of physical activities, such as:

  • Execution
  • Ballet
  • Basketball
  • Marching

Contact sports, such as hockey and football, can also pose a risk of direct blows to the leg, which can result in a fracture.

Stress fractures outside of sport situations are more common in people who have:

  • The decrease of bone density (osteoporosis)
  • Diabetes
  • Rheumatoid arthritis

Complications

The complications of a fracture in the leg may include:

  • Of the knee or ankle pain. A fracture of a bone in the leg can cause pain in the knee or the ankle.
  • Bone infection (osteomyelitis). If a broken bone cuts through the skin and cause a wound, it is called an open fracture. If you have an open fracture, the bone may be exposed to the germs that can cause infection.
  • Poor or delayed healing. A serious fracture in the leg may not heal quickly and completely. This is particularly common in an open fracture of the tibia due to less blood flow to the bone.
  • The nerves or the blood vessels. Fractures of the legs may cause injury to nearby nerves and blood vessels. Seek medical help right away if you notice any numbness, pale skin or circulation problems.
  • The compartment syndrome. This condition causes pain, swelling and sometimes disability in the muscles near the fracture. This is a rare complication that is more common with high-impact injuries, such as a car or a motorcycle accident.
  • Arthritis. Fractures that extend into the joint and the bone of poor alignment can cause osteoarthritis years later. If your leg starts to hurt a lot after a break, talk to your health care provider for an evaluation.
  • Inequality of leg length. The long bones of a child to grow from the ends of the bones, in the softer areas called growth plates. If a fracture goes through a growth plate, that of the extremities, eventually, it could be shorter or longer than the limb opposite.

Prevention

A broken leg can't always be prevented. But these basic tips, you can reduce the risk:

  • Build the strength of the bones. Foods rich in calcium, such as milk, yogurt and cheese, can help build strong bones. Calcium or vitamin D supplements may also improve bone strength. Ask your health care provider if these supplements are right for you.
  • Wear appropriate athletic shoes. Choose the right footwear for your favorite sport or activity. And to replace your sports shoes regularly. Dispose of the sneakers as soon as the tread or in the heel wears down or if the shoes wear out unevenly.
  • Cross-train. The alternation of activities that can prevent stress fractures. Rotate running, swimming or cycling. If you are running on a slope of the track on the inside, the alternative of the direction of their execution, even the stress in your skeleton.

Diagnosis

During the physical exam, the doctor will examine the affected area for tenderness, swelling, deformity or an open wound.

X-rays can usually pinpoint the location of the rupture and to determine the degree of injury of any adjacent joints. Occasionally, the computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is necessary to obtain more detailed images. For example, you may need a ct scan or a magnetic resonance imaging of a suspected stress fracture, from X-rays often do not disclose this injury.

Treatment

The treatment of a fracture in the leg is going to vary, depending on the type and location of the tear. Stress fractures may only require rest and immobilization, while other is broken, you may need surgery for the best cure. The fractures are classified in one or more of the following categories:

  • Open fracture. In this type of fracture, the skin is punctured by the broken bone. This is a serious condition that requires immediate treatment to reduce the likelihood of an infection.
  • Closed fracture. In closed fractures, the surrounding skin remains intact.
  • Incomplete fracture. This term means that the bone is broken, but not separated into two parts.
  • Complete fracture. In a complete fracture, the bone has broken into two or more parts.
  • Displaced fracture. In this type of fracture, the bone fragments on each side of the fracture are not aligned. A displaced fracture may require surgery to realign the bones correctly.
  • Fracture, greenstick. In this type of fracture, the bone cracks but does not break all the way through, for example, when you attempt to break a green stick of wood. Greenstick fractures are more likely to occur in children, because a child's bones are softer and more flexible than those of an adult.

Adjustment of the leg

The treatment for a broken leg usually begins in an emergency room or urgent care clinic. Here, the health care providers tend to assess the injury and immobilize the leg with a splint. If you have a displaced fracture, the health care team may need to move the pieces of bone back into its correct position before applying a splint — a process called reduction. Some fractures are splinted in the first to allow the swelling to go down. A cast is then used once there is less inflammation.

Immobilization

Of a broken bone to heal properly, your movement must be restricted. A splint or a cast is often used to immobilize the broken bone. You may need to use crutches or a cane to help keep weight on the affected leg for at least 6 weeks.

Drugs

A pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), or a combination of the two, you can reduce pain and inflammation. If you are experiencing pain, your health care provider may prescribe a stronger medication of the drug.

Therapies

After the cast or splint is removed, it is likely that you will have to do rehabilitation exercises or physical therapy to reduce stiffness and restore movement in the injured leg. Because you haven't moved your leg for a while, you may even have the stiffness and weakening of the muscles in uninjured areas. Rehabilitation can help, but can take up to several months — or even more — for complete healing of serious injuries.

Surgery and other procedures

Immobilization with a cast or a splint cure the majority of fractures of the bones. However, you may need surgery to implant plates, rods or screws to maintain the correct position of the bones during healing. This type of surgery is more likely in people who have:

  • Multiple fractures
  • An unstable or displaced fracture
  • Loose bone fragments that can enter into a joint
  • The damage to the ligaments that surround
  • Fractures that extend into a joint
  • A fracture that is the result of an accident crushing

Some injuries are treated with a metal frame outside of the leg attached to the bone with pins. This device provides stability during the healing process, and is usually removed after approximately 6 to 8 weeks. There is a risk of infection around the surgical pins.

Preparing for your appointment

Depending on the severity of the tear, your health care provider may recommend an examination by an orthopedic surgeon.

What you can do

You can write a list that includes:

  • The detailed descriptions of the symptoms and what caused the injury
  • Information about the medical problems of the past
  • All the medications and dietary supplements that you or your child takes
  • The questions you want to ask your health care provider

For a broken leg, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:

  • What kind of proof do you need?
  • What is the best course of action?
  • The surgery is necessary?
  • What are the alternatives to the primary treatment you are suggesting?
  • What restrictions must be followed?
  • You should see a specialist?
  • What pain medications you recommend?

Don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have.

What to expect from your doctor

Your health care provider is likely to ask questions such as:

  • How and when did the injury occur?
  • There were other injuries or areas of pain?
  • Has had broken bones in the past or the history of osteoporosis?
  • Do you have any numbness, tingling or loss of sensation in the injured area?
  • Were you able to get and stay standing or walking, the weight load on her leg, after your injury?
  • How severe is the pain of your injury?
  • What, if anything, seems to improve pain?
  • What, if anything, appears to worsen the pain?

To the injury of the children, the assessment often includes routine questions to rule out concerns about intentional injury or child abuse.

Symptoms and treatment of the fracture of the leg