How to Rehabilitate a Broken Femur

The femur is the strongest bone in the body, so it's not easy to break. But a car accident or a fall can do it--and so can the repetitive stress of certain kinds of sports. Fixing the break will require the help of a surgeon. Getting back to normal will involve caution, exercise and patience.

Things You'll Need

• Crutches or walker
• Cane
• Microwavable hot packs
• Therapeutic cold packs
• Elastic exercise band
• Pillows

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Listen to your doctor. He'll tell you what kind of surgery will be required to set and stabilize the bone and how much weight you'll be allowed to put on that leg as you recover. Following his orders will greatly increase your chance for a full recovery.

• 2

  Get walking. Most patients are encouraged to walk within 24 hours of femur surgery, provided the injury was successfully stabilized. Use the walker or crutches the hospital recommends and put only as much weight on that leg as the doctor allows. Remember, standing still on both legs means your injured femur is holding 50 percent of your weight.

• 3

  Stretch and exercise. You'll be given physical therapy exercises to return the leg with the broken femur to the full range of motion and to rebuild the muscles, which will be weak from surgery and inactivity. While lying in bed, gently test the limits of the injured leg by flexing your foot and your knee. While resting, try to have your injured leg stretched out straight, to prevent the hamstring from shortening, and slightly elevated on pillows, to help reduce swelling of your knee and ankle.

• 4

  Heat and cool it. Microwaveable hot packs and therapeutic cold packs (ice or frozen vegetables in a zip-closed bag will work in a pinch) can help soothe the muscle aches and swelling in the area of your broken femur. Use the temperature that gives you the most relief. To reduce swelling, alternate hot and cold in 20-minute intervals. Try hot/cold combinations, such as hot packs warming the inside of your leg and a cold pack wrapped around your ankle.

• 5

  Rebuild your strength. When the doctor says your x-rays show sufficient healing, you'll want to begin a real exercise program, but ease the injured leg back into action. Use a cane to take some weight off the leg as you walk. Use an elastic exercise band, as instructed by your physical therapist, to provide more resistance when you stretch. Walking in waist-high water is a gentle and thorough strength-building exercise for broken femur rehabilitation.

• 6

  Be patient. Wait until your doctor says it's safe before returning to your former activities or sports. Repairing a broken femur is major surgery, and many patients require months of limited activity and physical therapy before they're back to normal. Don't risk permanent damage by trying to do too much too soon.