Femur Fracture Fixation

What this procedure is

Femur fracture fixation is a surgery used to repair a broken thigh bone, which is known as the femur. Because the femur is the longest and strongest bone in your body, it usually requires internal support to stay in the correct position while it heals.

During the procedure, a surgeon realigns the broken pieces of bone and secures them using medical-grade metal implants. Your clinician may use different methods depending on the type of break:

• Intramedullary nailing: A metal rod is placed into the hollow center (marrow canal) of the bone.
• Plates and screws: A metal plate is attached to the outside of the bone to hold the pieces together.
• External fixation: A temporary frame is placed outside the leg with pins reaching through the skin to hold the bone steady.

What it treats or fixes

This procedure is used to treat various types of breaks in the thigh bone. These injuries often occur due to high-energy impacts, such as car accidents or falls from a height. In older adults with thinner bones, a fracture may happen from a simpler trip or fall.

The surgery is designed to stabilize the bone so it can heal properly. Without fixation, the strong muscles in the thigh can pull the broken bone pieces out of alignment, which may lead to the leg healing at an incorrect angle or length. By securing the bone, the procedure helps reduce pain and allows you to begin moving and rehabilitating your leg much sooner than a cast would allow.

How common it is & where it's done

Femur fractures are serious injuries that almost always require surgery to heal correctly. Because of this, femur fixation is a very common and standard procedure performed by orthopedic surgeons (doctors who specialize in bones and joints).

The surgery is performed in a hospital operating room. It is often done as an urgent procedure shortly after the injury occurs. Your surgical team will use specialized equipment, such as real-time X-ray imaging, to ensure the bone is lined up accurately and the hardware is placed securely. Most patients will stay in the hospital for a few days after the procedure to begin their recovery under the supervision of medical staff.

Recovery: What to Expect

After surgery to fix a femur (thigh bone) fracture, your recovery begins in the hospital. Your clinician may encourage you to start moving shortly after the procedure. This early movement helps prevent stiffness and keeps your blood flowing.

• Physical Therapy: You will likely work with a therapist to learn exercises that strengthen your leg and help you move safely.
• Weight-Bearing: Your care team will tell you how much weight you can put on your leg. This depends on the type of break and the hardware used to fix it.

Risks & Possible Complications

While surgery is often the best way to fix a broken femur, there are some risks to watch for. These can include infection, blood clots, or the bone not healing in the correct position (malunion). In some cases, the bone may take longer than expected to knit back together, which is called a non-union.

You should contact your clinician if you experience any of the following in a non-emergency way:

• Increased redness, warmth, or drainage around the incision.
• New or worsening pain in your calf or lower leg.
• Sudden shortness of breath or chest pain.

Outcomes & Long-Term Results

Most people who have femur fixation surgery are eventually able to return to their normal activities. The bone typically takes several months to heal completely. Your clinician may use X-rays during follow-up visits to check that the bone is mending well.

Long-term success often depends on staying active and following your physical therapy plan. While some people may feel minor aches during heavy activity, many return to walking and moving without significant pain.

Emotional Support & Reassurance

Recovering from a major leg injury can be a long process, and it is natural to feel overwhelmed at times. Remember that healing takes patience. Focusing on small goals, like walking a few extra steps each day, can help you stay positive.

Your healthcare team is there to support you. Do not hesitate to ask questions about your progress or share your concerns. With time and the right care, the body has a remarkable ability to heal and regain strength.

Why doctors recommend it

The femur, or thigh bone, is the strongest bone in your body. Because it supports so much weight and movement, a break (fracture) usually requires surgery to heal correctly. Your clinician may recommend surgery because it is often the most reliable way to hold the bone pieces in the right position while they knit back together.

In the past, people with this injury had to stay in bed for many weeks using weights and pulleys (traction) to keep the leg still. Today, surgery is preferred because it helps avoid the risks of long-term bed rest, such as blood clots or lung infections. Using internal hardware like rods or plates provides the stability needed for a safer and faster recovery.

Urgent vs planned treatment

A femur fracture is typically considered an urgent situation. In many cases, clinicians aim to perform the surgery within 24 hours of the injury. Research suggests that early treatment can lead to fewer complications and a smoother recovery process.

However, the timing depends on your overall health. If there are other serious injuries or medical concerns, your surgical team might wait a short period to ensure you are stable. The goal is to find the safest window of time to perform the procedure while minimizing the risks of staying immobile for too long.

Goals of treatment

The primary goal of femur fixation is to restore the bone to its natural shape and strength. This includes:

• Alignment: Ensuring the bone is straight so the leg functions properly.
• Length and Rotation: Making sure the leg remains the correct length and that the foot points in the right direction.
• Stability: Holding the bone firmly so it can support weight again in the future.

Another major goal is early mobilization. This means getting you out of bed and moving as soon as it is safe. By stabilizing the bone with hardware, the surgery allows you to start physical therapy sooner, which helps protect your muscle strength and joint flexibility during the healing process.

Who may benefit

Femur fracture fixation is a surgery used to repair a break in the femur, which is the long bone in your thigh. This bone is the strongest in the body, so it usually takes a significant amount of force to break it. Your clinician may recommend this surgery if you have a fracture caused by a high-impact event, such as a vehicle accident or a fall from a height.

Older adults with osteoporosis (a condition that makes bones weak and brittle) may also benefit from this surgery after a simple fall. Because the femur is essential for walking and supporting your weight, fixing the bone with metal hardware helps stabilize the leg. This stability often allows patients to start moving sooner, which can help prevent complications like blood clots or muscle loss during recovery.

The most common method is intramedullary nailing, where a metal rod is placed into the hollow center of the bone. In other cases, a surgeon might use plates and screws on the outside of the bone to hold the pieces together while they heal. The goal is to restore the bone's shape and strength so you can eventually return to your normal activities.

When it may not be the right option

While surgery is the standard treatment for most femur breaks, it may not be the right choice for everyone immediately. If a patient has other life-threatening injuries or is medically unstable, the care team may wait until the patient is stronger before performing a permanent fix. In these cases, they might use external fixation—a temporary frame outside the skin—to hold the bone in place until the patient is ready for a final procedure.

Surgery might also be delayed or avoided if there is an active infection at the site of the break. Additionally, if a patient has severe medical conditions that make general anesthesia (the medicine used to put you to sleep for surgery) too risky, the surgical team will carefully weigh the benefits of the operation against the potential dangers.

In some instances, if the skin and muscles around the break are severely damaged, the surgeon may wait for the soft tissues to heal. This helps reduce the risk of deep infections that can occur when hardware is placed inside the body.

Questions to ask your care team

Deciding on the best path for recovery involves clear communication with your doctors. Your clinician can help you understand the specific details of your injury and what to expect during the healing process. You may want to bring the following questions to your next appointment:

• Which type of fixation (a rod or a plate) is best for the specific location of my break?
• How soon after surgery will I be able to put weight on my leg?
• What are the specific risks for me, such as the bone not healing or the hardware moving?
• Will the metal hardware need to be removed in the future, or is it meant to stay in permanently?
• What kind of physical therapy will I need to help me regain my strength and walk again?

In the procedure room

When you are brought into the procedure room, you will see a team of healthcare professionals, including your surgeon, nurses, and an anesthesiologist. The room is bright and contains specialized equipment designed to help the team monitor your health and repair the bone safely.

You will be placed on a surgical table that may be adjusted to help the surgeon get the best angle for the repair. Your leg may be placed in a gentle traction device, which helps hold the bone in the correct position while the team works. The surgical site will be cleaned with a special soap to prevent infection, and sterile drapes will be placed around the area.

High-level steps

The main goal of the procedure is to put the pieces of the thigh bone (femur) back together and hold them steady so they can heal. Your clinician may follow these general steps:

• Realignment: The surgeon moves the broken bone pieces back into their natural position.
• Insertion: A small opening is made, usually near the hip or knee. A metal rod, called an intramedullary nail, is inserted into the hollow center of the femur.
• Securing the bone: Small screws are placed through the bone and into the rod at both ends. This prevents the bone from rotating or sliding out of place.
• Closing: The incision is closed with stitches or staples. In some cases, if there is significant swelling, your clinician may use specialized dressings to protect the area while it begins to heal.

Anesthesia and pain control

To ensure you are comfortable and do not feel pain during the surgery, you will receive anesthesia. Your clinician may use general anesthesia, which allows you to sleep through the entire procedure. Alternatively, they may use regional anesthesia, such as a spinal block, which numbs the lower half of your body while you remain relaxed or lightly sedated.

After the procedure, you may feel some numbness or a dull ache as the medicine wears off. Your care team will provide pain relief through an IV or as pills to help manage any soreness or pressure you feel in the leg.

Monitoring and safety steps

Your safety is the top priority throughout the surgery. A dedicated provider will continuously monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. The team also uses a sterile field to keep the environment as clean as possible.

The surgeon typically uses a special type of real-time X-ray called fluoroscopy. This allows them to see the bone and the metal rod on a screen during the surgery. This technology helps ensure the implants are placed with great precision without the need for a large, open incision.

Immediately after the procedure

After the surgery is finished, you will be moved to a recovery room where nurses will watch you closely as you wake up. You might feel sleepy, thirsty, or notice a heavy sensation in your leg. This is normal and typically fades as the anesthesia wears off.

The staff will frequently check the circulation and feeling in your foot. They may ask you to wiggle your toes or tell them if you feel any tingling. These checks are done to ensure that the blood flow and nerves are working properly after the bone has been fixed.

Typical procedure length

A femur fixation procedure typically takes between 1 and 3 hours. The exact time can vary based on the location of the break and the specific type of hardware needed to stabilize the bone. Your surgical team will keep your family or loved ones updated on your progress during this time.

Common approaches (open vs minimally invasive)

To fix a broken thighbone (femur), surgeons typically use metal implants to hold the bone pieces in place while they heal. The specific method depends on where the bone is broken and the pattern of the break.

• Intramedullary Nailing (IMN): This is a common method for breaks in the middle of the bone. Your surgeon places a metal rod down the hollow center of the femur. This is often considered minimally invasive because it can usually be done through small incisions near the hip or knee.
• Plates and Screws (ORIF): If the fracture extends into the knee or hip joints, or if a rod cannot be used, your doctor may perform "Open Reduction Internal Fixation." This involves a larger incision (open approach) to directly line up the bone fragments and secure them with metal plates and screws on the outside of the bone.
• External Fixation: In emergency situations where there is severe damage to the skin and muscles, doctors may temporarily use a metal frame outside the leg to hold the bones steady until the soft tissues heal enough for a permanent surgery.

Partial vs total

This distinction is not always applicable to standard fracture fixation. It primarily applies if the break occurs at the very top of the femur (the femoral neck) near the hip joint. In these cases, instead of fixing the bone, the surgeon may recommend replacing the hip joint.

• Partial Replacement (Hemiarthroplasty): The surgeon replaces only the broken ball (head) of the femur with a metal implant, leaving the natural hip socket intact.
• Total Replacement (Total Hip Arthroplasty): The surgeon replaces both the ball of the femur and the socket of the pelvis.

Your clinician will decide if fixation (repairing the bone) or replacement is better based on the location of the fracture, your age, and your bone quality.

Revision or repeat procedures

Most femur fractures heal successfully after the first surgery. However, in some cases, the bone may fail to join together (nonunion) or may heal in an incorrect position (malunion). If this happens, a revision surgery may be necessary.

During a revision, the surgeon may remove the original metal hardware and replace it with a larger rod or different plates to provide better stability. This process, sometimes called "exchange nailing," helps stimulate the bone to heal properly. Repeat procedures may also be needed if an infection develops around the implant.

Tests and imaging that may be done

Before surgery, your care team needs a clear picture of the injury. You will likely have X-rays taken of your entire thigh bone (femur). Because the femur is a long bone, doctors also check the joints above and below the break. This means you may get X-rays of your hip and knee to make sure there are no other injuries.

In some cases, a computed tomography (CT) scan is used. This provides a more detailed, 3-D view of the bone. A CT scan is especially helpful if the fracture extends into the hip or knee joint. Your care team may also run standard blood tests to check your overall health and blood counts before anesthesia.

Medication adjustments

Your surgical team will review all the medicines, vitamins, and supplements you currently take. It is important to tell them about everything you use. They will let you know which ones are safe to continue and which ones you might need to pause. Only stop medicines if your clinician instructs you.

To help prevent infection, you will likely receive antibiotics through an IV (intravenous line) shortly before the surgery begins. Your team may also give you medication to help reduce blood loss during the procedure. If you take blood thinners, your doctors will create a specific plan to manage your bleeding risk while keeping you safe.

Day-before and day-of instructions

Because femur fractures are often caused by trauma, preparation frequently happens urgently in the hospital rather than days in advance. However, the following steps are common before the procedure begins:

• Food and drink: You will usually be asked not to eat or drink anything for a certain time before surgery. This keeps your stomach empty for anesthesia safety.
• Anesthesia meeting: You will meet with an anesthesia provider to discuss the best way to keep you comfortable and asleep during the operation.
• Positioning: Once in the operating room, you will be placed on a special table. Your foot may be placed in a boot that gently pulls on the leg (traction) to help line up the broken bone pieces before they are fixed.

General surgical risks

As with any major operation, fixing a femur fracture carries certain general risks. Your care team takes many steps to lower these risks and monitors you closely during recovery.

• Infection: Bacteria can sometimes enter the incision site or the area around the metal implant. This is more common if the bone broke through the skin (open fracture).
• Blood clots: Because a broken thighbone limits how much you can move, there is a risk of blood clots forming in the legs (deep vein thrombosis) or traveling to the lungs (pulmonary embolism).
• Breathing issues: Rarely, fat particles from the bone marrow can enter the bloodstream and affect the lungs. This is known as fat embolism syndrome.

Procedure-specific complications

In addition to general risks, there are specific issues related to how the femur is fixed. These complications are not guaranteed to happen, but your surgeon will watch for them.

• Healing problems: Sometimes the bone heals slowly (delayed union) or does not heal at all (nonunion). In other cases, the bone may heal in a twisted or rotated position (malunion).
• Knee pain: Pain at the front of the knee is a relatively common complaint, especially if a metal rod (intramedullary nail) was inserted through the top of the femur.
• Nerve pressure: The traction used to position the leg during surgery can sometimes put pressure on nerves. This may cause temporary numbness in the groin area or weakness in the foot.
• Hardware issues: Although the metal implants are strong, screws or rods can sometimes break or irritate the surrounding soft tissues.
• Extra bone growth: Occasionally, bone may grow in the muscles around the hip (heterotopic ossification), which can cause stiffness.

How complications are treated

Most complications can be managed effectively if caught early. Your treatment plan will depend on the specific issue.

• Medication: Infections are typically treated with antibiotics. Blood thinners are often prescribed to prevent clots.
• Additional procedures: If the bone is not healing, your surgeon may perform a minor procedure to remove specific screws. This allows the bone segments to compress against each other, which encourages healing.
• Revision surgery: In cases where the hardware breaks or the bone heals in the wrong position, a second surgery may be needed to replace the rod or realign the bone.
• Therapy: Physical therapy is the main treatment for knee pain and stiffness caused by extra bone growth.

Pain control medicines

Managing pain after a femur (thigh bone) surgery usually involves a "multimodal" approach. This means your clinician may use several different types of medicine that work in different ways to keep you comfortable while reducing the need for any single strong medication.

• Acetaminophen: This is a common medicine used to reduce pain and fever.
• NSAIDs: These are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen. They help reduce swelling and soreness around the surgical site.
• Opioids: For more intense pain immediately after surgery, your clinician may prescribe stronger pain relievers for a short period.

Your care team will tailor this plan to your specific needs. It is important to discuss any history of stomach issues or kidney problems, as these can affect which medicines are safest for you.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent or treat infections caused by bacteria. Because femur fracture fixation involves surgery, your clinician will likely give you antibiotics to lower the risk of an infection at the site of the repair.

These are often started just before the surgery begins and may continue for a short time afterward. Your clinician will check your medical history for any drug allergies, such as an allergy to penicillin, to choose the right type of antibiotic for you.

Blood thinners and clot prevention

After a leg injury or surgery, you may not be moving around as much as usual. This can increase the risk of developing blood clots in the veins, a condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). To help prevent this, your clinician may prescribe "blood thinners," also known as anticoagulants.

Common options include:

• Injections: Small shots given under the skin that help prevent the blood from thickening too much.
• Oral pills: Medicines like aspirin or other prescription tablets that help keep the blood flowing smoothly.

Your clinician will decide which medicine is best based on your health history and how well you are able to move after surgery. While taking these, it is important to watch for signs of unusual bruising or bleeding and to follow all safety instructions provided by your care team.

Emergency warning signs

While recovering from femur fracture surgery, certain symptoms require immediate attention. These can be signs of serious complications like a blockage in a blood vessel (fat embolism) or dangerous pressure building up in the muscle (compartment syndrome).

Go to the emergency room or call 911 if you experience:

• Trouble breathing: Sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, or confusion.
• Severe, unmanageable pain: Pain in the thigh or leg that is extreme and does not get better with your prescribed pain medicine.
• Signs of poor circulation: Your foot or toes turn pale, blue, or feel cold to the touch.
• Extreme swelling or tightness: The leg feels hard or tense, and the skin looks shiny or stretched.

Call your surgeon or clinic if…

Some symptoms may not require an ambulance but still need to be checked by your surgical team to prevent issues like infection or nerve damage. Your clinician will want to know if your recovery is not going as planned.

Contact your healthcare provider if you notice:

• Signs of infection: Fevers, chills, or redness and warmth spreading around your incision.
• Wound drainage: Fluid, pus, or blood leaking from the surgical site, especially if it smells bad.
• Numbness or tingling: New loss of feeling in your foot, lower leg, or groin area (which can sometimes happen due to positioning during surgery).
• New or worsening pain: A sudden increase in pain after it had started to improve, or feeling a “click” or shift in the bone.

Expected vs concerning symptoms

Recovering from a broken thigh bone is a major process. It helps to know what is part of the normal healing journey and what might signal a problem.

Most people have:

• Moderate pain and swelling: It is normal to have soreness and bruising around the thigh and hip. This usually improves steadily over time.
• Stiffness: Your hip or knee may feel stiff, especially when you first start moving or physical therapy.

It is concerning if:

• Pain is out of proportion: The pain feels far worse than you expect or keeps you awake despite medication.
• The leg looks wrong: If the leg appears crooked or shorter than the other leg, it could be a sign that the bone is not healing in the correct position (malunion).

Non-surgical treatments

For some patients, a clinician may suggest non-surgical ways to help a broken femur (thigh bone) heal. One method is traction. This is a system of weights, ropes, and pulleys used to gently pull the leg into the right position and keep it still while the bone begins to knit back together.

Another option is casting. A large cast, sometimes called a spica cast, may be used to keep the hip and leg from moving. While these methods were more common in the past, they are now used less often for adults because they require staying in bed for a very long time, which can lead to other health issues.

Watchful waiting

Watchful waiting is not usually the primary treatment for a femur fracture because the thigh bone is the strongest bone in the body and needs significant support to heal correctly. However, your medical team may use a temporary "wait and see" approach if there are other serious health concerns that need to be managed first.

During this time, the focus is on keeping you comfortable and stable. The clinician may use temporary splints or light traction to prevent the bone from moving too much while they monitor your overall health. This ensures you are strong enough before a long-term treatment plan is started.

When surgery becomes the best option

Surgery is often considered the best choice for most adults with a femur fracture. Your clinician may recommend surgery if the bone is shifted too far out of place or if it is unlikely to stay aligned with just a cast. Surgery helps the bone heal in the correct position so the leg stays the right length and remains functional.

Choosing surgery often allows for a more predictable recovery. It may help you:

• Start moving and sitting up much sooner after the injury.
• Reduce the risk of blood clots or lung issues that can happen when staying in bed for too long.
• Avoid long-term stiffness in the hip or knee joints.

Your medical team will look at the specific type of break and your general health to determine when it is the safest and most effective time to proceed with the procedure.

Hospital services that commonly perform this surgery

Femur fracture fixation is a procedure used to repair a broken thigh bone. This surgery is typically performed in hospitals that have specialized orthopedic surgery departments. Because a femur fracture is often a serious injury, these procedures frequently take place at trauma centers. These are hospitals specifically equipped with the staff and technology to handle complex bone injuries at any time of day.

During your stay, you will likely interact with several different hospital services. The anesthesiology department will manage your pain and sedation during the procedure. After the bone is stabilized—often using an intramedullary nail (a metal rod inserted into the bone) or plates and screws—the nursing staff on an orthopedic ward will monitor your recovery. Your clinician may also coordinate with the radiology department to take X-rays and ensure the bone is healing in the correct position.

Patient resources and support services

Recovering from a femur fracture is a gradual process that requires a team approach. Most hospitals provide access to physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) services. These specialists help you learn how to move safely while your leg heals and teach you how to use tools like walkers or crutches. They focus on improving your range of motion, which is the ability to move your joints through their full reach.

Other helpful support services may include:

• Case Management: Social workers or case managers help you plan for life after the hospital, such as arranging for home medical equipment or a stay at a rehabilitation center.
• Pain Management Teams: These specialists work to keep you comfortable using a variety of methods while you begin to put weight on your leg again.
• Outpatient Clinics: These services provide follow-up care to check your surgical site and monitor bone healing through regular office visits.

Questions for choosing where to have surgery

In many cases, a femur fracture is an emergency, and you will be treated at the nearest capable hospital. However, if you have a choice or are looking for follow-up care, you may want to ask the following questions to help you choose a facility:

• Is this hospital a designated Level I or Level II trauma center?
• Does the surgical team have extensive experience with your specific type of femur fracture?
• Are physical therapy and rehabilitation services available on-site to start recovery immediately after surgery?
• What is the hospital’s process for coordinating care between the surgeon, the primary doctor, and the physical therapist?
• Does the facility provide educational materials or support groups for patients recovering from major bone injuries?

Conditions commonly treated by this procedure

Femur fracture fixation is a surgical procedure used to repair a break in the femur, which is the long bone in your thigh. Because the femur is the strongest bone in the body, it usually takes a significant force to cause a break. This surgery helps hold the bone in the correct position so it can heal properly.

Common conditions that your clinician may treat with this procedure include:

• Mid-shaft fractures: Breaks that occur along the long, straight part of the thigh bone (the diaphysis).
• Distal femur fractures: Breaks that happen at the lower end of the bone, near the knee joint.
• Proximal femur fractures: Breaks located at the upper end of the bone, near the hip joint.
• Comminuted fractures: Injuries where the bone has broken into several pieces.

This procedure may also be used for displaced fractures, where the bone pieces have moved out of their normal alignment, or open fractures, where the injury involves a break in the skin.

Related symptoms people search for

When a femur injury occurs, certain symptoms are commonly reported. These signs can vary depending on how the injury happened and the location of the break. Symptoms that may be associated with a femur fracture include:

• Severe pain in the thigh or hip that worsens with movement.
• An inability to put any weight on the injured leg or stand up.
• Swelling, bruising, and tenderness along the thigh area.
• A visible deformity, such as the leg appearing shorter than the other or being turned at an unusual angle.

In some instances, people may notice limited movement in the hip or knee. Your clinician may also look for signs of nerve or blood vessel involvement, such as numbness or changes in skin color. If you experience these symptoms after an injury, it is important to seek an evaluation by a medical professional immediately.

Evidence overview

Medical research and clinical guidelines strongly support surgical fixation as the standard treatment for most femur (thighbone) fractures. Studies consistently show that stabilizing the bone with hardware allows patients to move earlier, which helps reduce the risk of complications like blood clots or lung problems. For fractures in the shaft of the bone, the "gold standard" treatment is often an intramedullary nail—a metal rod placed inside the hollow center of the bone.

Evidence indicates that this method has a very high success rate for bone healing, often reported between 98% and 99%. While metal plates and screws are also effective for certain fracture patterns, the rod is generally preferred for mid-shaft breaks because it shares the load with the bone, allowing for earlier weight-bearing in many cases.

Safety notes and individualized care

Femur fracture surgery is a common and generally safe procedure, but like all major surgeries, it carries some risks. Your surgical team will take steps to prevent common complications, such as infection, bleeding, or injury to nearby nerves and blood vessels. They will also monitor for "compartment syndrome," a condition where pressure builds up inside the leg muscles, which requires immediate attention.

Your treatment plan is tailored to your specific health needs. Factors that influence your care include:

• Timing of surgery: Clinicians often aim to operate within 24 hours to improve outcomes, but they may delay if you need to be stabilized first.
• Damage control: If a patient has multiple severe injuries, the surgeon may use a temporary external frame (external fixation) to hold the bone in place until the patient is healthy enough for a permanent rod or plate.
• Healing risks: In some cases, the bone may heal slowly (delayed union) or not at all (nonunion). Your doctor will discuss factors that might affect this, such as smoking or nutrition.

Sources used

The content in this section is based on peer-reviewed medical literature and clinical summaries, including data published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (StatPearls).