A compound distal femur fracture is a very significant break that occurs where the lower part of the femur breaks through the skin. This type of fracture is accompanied by often very significant soft tissue damage, and by a high risk of infection.
A compound distal femur fracture will be accompanied by very severe pain, often radiating widely beyond the site of injury and worsening with movement or pressure. Typically, injuries of this sort will also bleed very heavily, as a result of associated vascular damage, and will also be accompanied by rapid swelling and bruising.
The key characteristic of a compound distal femur fracture will be exposure of the bone close to the knee and/or deformity of the leg in the same area.
Distal femur fractures most commonly occur as a result of high-energy impact, of the sort which might be experienced in a motor vehicle accident or a fall from height, or during contact or extreme sports, such as motocross, BMX or skateboarding.
In older patients, or those with poor quality or weak bones, much less force is often required to create a compound fracture.
Compound injuries will invariably require surgical intervention, though in advance of surgical intervention you, or a trained medic, may attempt to clean the wound with saline and apply a sterile dressing.
Compound distal femur fractures require surgical intervention to reduce infection risk and ensure proper healing. These include:
Reduction and fixation: this involves directly accessing and realigning the damaged bone (open reduction) and internal fixation using plates, screws or rods to maintain proper position during the healing process. External fixation, in which an external frame fitted across the site of injury is used to hold the bones in position, may also be employed, especially where there is significant soft tissue damage. To learn more about fracture fixation, and what to expect from the procedure, please visit our fracture fixation page.
Bone grafting: involves the implantation of a graft from the patient’s own body (autograft), or a donor (allograft), to support healing and new bone growth where the amount of bone lost due to injury is extensive.
Knee arthroplasty: in cases where the fracture is very complex, and the bone quality very poor, the decision may be taken to replace the damaged knee joint with an artficial prosthesis.
For further inquiries or to arrange a consultation, please contact Professor Al Muderis’ office at +61 2 88829011 or book an appointment online.