Femur fractures are common injuries after auto accidents in Tennessee and around the country. These fractures can also be among the painful injuries after a motorcycle crash or for pedestrians hit by a vehicle. Other injuries often follow due to the impact required to fracture the femur bone, and motorcyclists and pedestrians are more prone to these injuries than drivers and passengers in vehicles.
Femur anatomy
The femur bone extends from the hip to the knee, and it has heads lodged in the hip joint. The strongest bone in the body, the femoral bone is also called the thigh bone. A long shaft connects the knee joint to the femur. The strength of the femur means that it requires a heavy force to break it.
How femur injuries result from high-impact accidents
High-impact crash forces are severe enough to fracture the femur bone. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the top cause of femur injuries is car crashes followed by falls from a height. Because the impact of the accident is great, there will likely be injuries to blood vessels, ligaments and muscles.
Femur fracture types
An accident victim may experience several types of femur breaks. When the femoral neck breaks, it is called a hip fracture, a common injury in elderly people from weak hip bones. Femur breaks from vehicle accidents and falls commonly occur along the shaft. Auto accidents could also cause knee fractures, which occur on the distal end of the femur. Other femur injuries include stress fractures and partial breaks.
Why motorcyclists and pedestrians are prone to femur breaks
Femur fractures occur in motorcycle and pedestrians more often since they have little protection from crash forces. Someone in a vehicle can avoid more serious injuries from the metal shell. Sometimes, the vehicle angle hits the pedestrian or motorcyclist in the femur.
A femur injury should be treated as soon as possible after a crash. People with auto accident injuries may be able to file a claim against the at-fault driver to receive compensation.