A femoral fracture is a bone fracture

Bone fracture

A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...

 that involves the femur

Femur

The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...

. It includes hip fracture

Hip fracture

A hip fracture is a femoral fracture that occurs in the proximal end of the femur , near the hip.The term "hip fracture" is commonly used to refer to four different fracture patterns and is often due to osteoporosis; in the vast majority of cases, a hip fracture is a fragility fracture due to a...

s.

Classification

A femoral fracture that involves the femoral head, femoral neck or the shaft of the femur immediately below the lesser trochanter may be classified as a hip fracture

Hip fracture

A hip fracture is a femoral fracture that occurs in the proximal end of the femur , near the hip.The term "hip fracture" is commonly used to refer to four different fracture patterns and is often due to osteoporosis; in the vast majority of cases, a hip fracture is a fragility fracture due to a...

, especially when associated with osteoporosis

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis the bone mineral density is reduced, bone microarchitecture is deteriorating, and the amount and variety of proteins in bone is altered...

.

• Three types of femoral shaft fractures
Type 1: Spiral or transverse
Type 2: Comminuted
Type 3: Open
Femoral shaft fractures can be classified with the Winquist and Hansen classification, which is based on the amount of comminution

Comminution

Comminution is the process in which solid materials are reduced in size, by crushing, grinding and other processes. It occurs naturally during faulting in the upper part of the crust and is an important operation in mineral processing, ceramics, electronics and other fields. Within industrial uses,...

:

• Grade I or 1: transverse or short oblique fractures with no comminution or a small butterfly fragment of less than 25% of width of the bone
• Grade II or 2: a comminuted with a butterfly fragment of 50% or less of the width of the bone
• Grade III or 3: comminuted with a large butterfly fragment of greater than 50% of the width of bone
• Grade IV or 4: Segmental comminution

Treatment

Treatment depends on the part of the femur that is fractured. Traction may be useful for femoral shaft fractures but is contraindicated in femoral neck fractures.