femur fracture

[lilralph]

Just wondering if anyone can help. I had a question on my last EMT basic test and could not find. What is the difference between femur fracture
Rotated inward=
Rotated outward=
Thank for the help......

[Lewiston2Capt]

What is the difference between femur fracture
Rotated inward=
Rotated outward=


Lets see, I know one indicates a hip fx, the other a dislocation. Now if I could only remember which. I want to say that the dislocation will rotate outward, and the fx rotate inward. Lets see if any of the crusties out there can shine some light on the subject?

[EFD840]

A leg that appears shortened and rotated outward is a pretty good sign of a proximal femur fracture, otherwise known as a broke hip.

Inward rotation is a sign of a posterior hip dislocation. Sometimes the rotation can be outward if the problem is an anterior hip dislocation.

I don't know about the reliability of the dislocation signs, but we've got a large elderly population and see a pretty good number of trauma from fall patients. I can't think of a single time that shortened and rotated outward didn't = fracture.

[smurfe]

Well, technically, a hip fx is a femur fx. The head of the Greater Trochanter is broken off or the structure of the acetabulum is fractured. With a "hip" fx, one will normally see outward rotation of the injured extremity with normally associated "shortening" of the injured leg.

One will normally see "inward" rotation of the injured extremity with a dislocation of the greater trochanter from the acetabulum.

Smurfe :D

[DaSharkie]

I was taught that when it came to hip dislocations to remember PIN. If it is a posterior dislocation then the leg will rotate in (medially) and if it was an anterior dislocation, the leg will rotate out. There may or may not necessarily be a shortening of the leg.

If it comes to a hip fracture, there is usually a shortening of the affected leg, just as in a midshaft femur fracture, becuase the bone ends have passed each other very close to the head of the femur, thus the shortening of the leg. I suppose the direction of the rotation depends upon how it is broken.

[lilralph]

thanks thats what i needed.

[Weruj1]

You all are doing good so far !

[Lewiston2Capt]

Thanks for the reminder! I havent had any hip related injuries in a long time. I guess I got a little rusty on them.
Generally I treat them along the same lines, immobilize w/ vacuum splint and gently move them.