Broken leg rehibilitation

[machine1418]

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I was wondering which injury takes longer to rehibilitate, a broken femur or a broken tibia? Also, which injury--in anyone's opinion--is more painful and less convenient for the patient?

 

[markelmarcel]

My best friend was in a car accident in HS and broke her femur. She had to have a metal rod stuck in her leg and had to learn how to walk again.

Also, my current boss broke his femur when he fell off of a ladder and had to have a metal rod put in.

Not that those stories really have to do with anything, but I don't know anyone personally who had to rehab a tibia... it would probably be a hard rehab as well.... Personally, I would think femur could be worse mostly because it's the largest bone in your body!

 

[mtm34]

Both bones are highly metabolic and receive a large vascular supply, both also support the body's entire weight in weight bearing. With that said it depends heavily on the location and type of fracture that has been sustained along with the additional structures that have been compromised. With either you can have serious muscle tendon avulsions as well as neurovascular compromise. Additionally if an ORIF procedure is warranted it will depend on the type/amount of surgical hardware used to fixate. In other words... it really depends on the bigger picture- more often than not the femur will take longer because it is the largest bone in the body but additional complications will determine the length of rehabilitation.