Can a broken femur be fatal?

A femoral shaft fracture in isolation should not cause death. Yet a patient with a femoral fracture can die from this injury. Recall that bone is vascular and fractures let marrow contents (fat especially) out into the circulation. Fat could embolize to the brain or the lungs.

How does broken femur cause death?

The principal causes of death after hip fracture were bronchopneumonia, cardiac failure, myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism. Surgical intervention, within 24 h of injury significantly reduced death from bronchopneumonia and pulmonary embolism.

Is a broken femur a serious injury?

Femoral fractures are a serious injury and need to be treated quickly or the leg may not heal properly. If you suspect you have a fractured femur, seek medical help right away, especially if the skin is broken.

Why is the femur the worst bone to break?

Damage to your pelvis can also cause internal bleeding. The worst-case scenario (and most painful) would be an injury that causes breaks in your femur, hip, pelvis, and spine; since they’re all connected. Pelvic fractures are often due to major trauma like motor vehicle accidents and falls from a significant height.

How painful is a femur break?

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.

Is femur break painful?

A broken thighbone, also known as a femur fracture, is a serious and painful injury. The femur is one of the strongest bones in the body, and a break or fracture in the femur bone is often caused by severe injury such as trauma sustained in a motor vehicle accident.

What’s the most painful broken bone?

Here’s a look at some of the bones that hurt the most to break:

• 1) Femur. The femur is the longest and strongest bone in the body.
• 2) Tailbone. You could probably imagine that this injury is highly painful.
• 3) Ribs. Breaking your ribs can be terribly distressing and quite painful.
• 4) Clavicle.

How hard is it to break a femur?

One cubic inch of bone can withstand the weight of five standard pickup trucks, give or take a few pounds. If you’re looking for the specifics to snap a piece of your skeleton, it takes about 4,000 newtons of force to break the typical human femur.