broken femur 20 years ago

[letdaisy]

Hi, was in a car wreck 20 years ago.  I fractured my right femur.  I had a rod inserted at the hip, with screws at the knee.  All have been removed for some time.  Lately, my hip aches terribly, and feels like it is hanging up.  Also shooting pains and aches in my knee.  
Is this something I just have to deal with, or can something be done?


Thanks

[JainMD]

Hi Simon,
You are having pain at lower back which is radiating to thigh and also to ankle. This suggests that you are having nerve compression. The nerve involved appears to be Sciatic nerve or one of its branches.
The nerve could be compressed at your lower back or may be due to rod insertion.
Firstly you should be getting an imaging study done to see where the pathology is.
Secondly physiotherapy should be made a routine as that would help you relieve pain.
Finally you should continue with your analgesics rub and oral analgesics.
If you are smoker then you should be quitting smoking.
Keep me posted if you have any queries.
Bye.

[simon89]

hi i was in a car accident 2 years ago and broke my right femur.i had it pinned up from the hip to the knee with a titanium rod. i am having a lot of pain in my hip and it is also had to get comphy also pain in the leg itself.i am having shooting pains starting from the back of my lower hip and travelling up to the bottom of my back.the muscle also seems to be taking a long time to grow back 2 years on.i have got a nerve conduction test in 2 weeks time so waiting to see how things go from there.  

[JainMD]

Hi,
How are you feeling?
I would suggest not taking the rod out till the time you are sure that your bones have healed completely.
I think you can get imaging study done after you meet new orthopedist.
I think you can ask your physiotherapist for any exercise which can be done at home so that muscle strengthening of legs can be achieved.
I can understand that you might get dependant on medications once you have started, but you have to be on some medications so that the inflammatory response in body can be controlled.
Your pain could be due to some inflammatory process.
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.

[kaorourke]

After my surgery, I was in physical therapy for about two months (surgery was back in late Oct. '06).  I do not smoke but occasionally drink and that tends to make it sore the next day.  I haven't been on pain meds since about the time my physical therapy ended.  My old doctor wouldn't prescribe me pain meds since i was going through some depression at the time and told me that I would become 'hooked' real easy.  He sent me for an X-ray and said it looked like a 'healing fracture'.  I am currently looking for a new doctor as my insurance has changed.  I am no longer taking depression meds but my physical pain remains everyday and I am hoping to get some relief after seeing my new doctor and explaining my situation.  I do not want to become dependent on medicine however as I work a lot of hours and only need relief during the night.  I am wondering if removal of the surgical rod would ease my situation but am uneasy about taking time off possibly for that surgery and then having to get used to my 'old leg' without the rod in it.  

[JainMD]

Hi Keaton,
How are you feeling?
I think you can take help of pain management specialist to ease your pain in step-wise manner.
What pain-killer medicines are you on and how are they schedule over 24 hours period?
What other therapy you are doing for relief of pain?
You should be on one or two pain killer medications which should span over period of 24 hours regularly and at any time no two medicines should go at the same time.
Are you a smoker?
Keep me informed if you have any other queries.
Bye.

[kaorourke]

I was in a car wreck a year and a half ago and fractured my right femur also.  I too had a rod installed spanning from my hip to my knee with pins at each end.  The rod was made of titanium.  what was yours made of?  (just wondering what changes have been made in 20 years)  My thigh continues to bother me after the physical therapy, pain medication, and crutches are long gone.  I've found that applying muscle rub 'Equate' brand on my leg can ease the pain for an hour or so.  Everyday though, while at work and even after work trying to sit in my chair and relax, my leg will ache and sometimes even throb.  If you have any advice for pain management or ways to cope with the frustrating achiness that is hard to supress, please respond.

-Keaton

[JainMD]

Hi Daisy,
I suppose this is your name. How old are you?
How is your pain and numbness now?
If it is compressive pathology like nerve impingement or pressure on nerve due to disc herniation, the treatment would be to release the nerve from the pressure point. Initially the surgeon would plan for some conservative management like physiotherapy and ultrasound, but if this does not work then surgery would be done depending on the diagnosis.
Keep me informed about your meeting with orthopaedician.
All the best and take care.
Bye.

[letdaisy]

Thanks for your reply!  I will schedule a visit with an ortho soon.  Haven't been to one in years.  Any idea of the treatments if it is indeed the compressive pathology?  

I hope that is the correct terminology, I just call it "ow" :)


Thanks again

[Caliber2005]

Hi,
Because the underlying pathologies of low back, hip, and shooting leg pain (radicular pain) reside within the low back and/or hip, essentially the same physical examination is performed for each complaint.
In the lumbosacral spine, radicular symptoms are caused by an intervertebral disc bulge, protrusion, extrusion, or sequestration that compresses and inflames a nerve root in approximately 98% of all cases. Other causes of radicular symptoms emanating from the lumbosacral spine include disc osteophytes, a buckled ligamentum flavum, zygapophysial (Z)-joint hypertrophy, and other causes of lumbosacral spinal stenosis.
Hence I think a referral and complete examination by an orthopaedician is essential and urgent.
Hope this helps you.
Bye.

[Caliber2005]

Hi Daisy,
How are you feeling?
Well I think you need to rule out if any pathology exists at hip joint or in femur.
Pain in hip joint can be due to pathology involving the bone or nerve. If it is bone then you should be seeing an orthopaedician and imaging studies needs to be performed to see the anatomy in and around the hips.
Alternatively, if it is due to nerve impingement, then imaging study involving lower back needs to be performed.
I think it is the compressive pathology causing such symptoms.
You should be seeing an orthopaedician at earliest and do imaging studies for assessment.
Keep me informed regarding your decision and results of investigations if done.
Bye.