partial loss of left femur

[jstucky]

I have a friend that is 36 and due to a doctor not wanting to give her an mri went three months with a broken femur. When she found out she was sent to the ku med center in Kc kansas. As a result it was badly infected and required partial removal with nothing put back in place. They said a metal ball and rod would nor last due to the infection and the bottom part of the bone probably would not hold since she is overweight. Is there anything one can do to help or improve this situation.

Similar Threads:

• Left tricep and left pectoral muscle atrophy
• Tight left pec minor and left trap, shoulder pain, ac joint sore to touch and tight left QL.
• Stiff leg after left leg taken out of 6 week cast from broken femur / knee / foot
• Metal rod removed from left femur
• left femur shaft fracture

[Dr Damien]

she needs a walking aid..gait assessment/re-education by a physio and some diligent strengthening exercises at the very least...where was the break? how much damage has been done...?

[pudding_bowl]

As you have indicated your friend is overweight. Weight loss would be a big help and in her case I would suggest she get into some aquajogging or aquarobics as soon as her surgery scars allow her to.
Main thing is that she needs a physio to see her and help her with walking aids. And we need the information that Dr Damien has mentioned as to the extend of the damage.

[jstucky]

[QUOTE=pudding_bowl;47749]As you have indicated your friend is overweight. Weight loss would be a big help and in her case I would suggest she get into some aquajogging or aquarobics as soon as her surgery scars allow her to.
Main thing is that she needs a physio to see her and help her with walking aids. And we need the information that Dr Damien has mentioned as to the extend of the damage. She is doing some leg exercises such as lifting and bending the knee and lifting her leg up and down and moving it side to side. The break is about six inches or so above her knee. The doctors removed all of the bone from there up . She use a walker to get around for now. The doctor told her that later on she might be able to use a cane. The scar is just about healed so I will tell her to get lined up with the ymca and go do so aroebics. She has one other problem she has torn cartliage in the other knee and is going to have surgery on it Friday morning oct 30. That will slow things do for awhile but I guess it needs to be done if she is ever going to get to the point where she can get around. It has been a long summer as I am the only person she has around so I get to take care of her. She is on medicaid and possible eligable for ssdi so I am going to fill out the app online for her and see if that will get her more help. Medicaid won't pay for much in the way of therapy

[jstucky]

She is now healed and doing some exercise but doesn't want to do pool exercise. A few weeks after she came home she developed an infection in her leg and spent about seven weeks in the hospital and the five weeks in a nursing home. She had to have antibiotics put through and iv and had a wound vac attached till the leg actually healed. Right now she is getting her teeth pulled as they are all bad and then will have dentures when her gums all heal. Sometime after that she will have her right knee fixed I hope. Is there any kind of brace etc. that would allow her to walk on that leg. For now she use a walker to get around. According to the doctor they can't put in anything to replace her femur

[pudding_bowl]

I cannot give you any information of braces that will help her to walk, the surgeon or a Orthotist are the best people to talk to.