The thigh bone is a mostly tubular structure throughout its length. The tubular portion is termed the femoral shaft. Fractures of the shaft of the femur most commonly occur from a high energy mechanism in younger people, whereas they can more commonly occur from a low energy injury in elderly people with poor bone quality. Treatment often consists of a rod that is placed down the central portion of the femur (also known as the femoral canal), and this rod is secured to the bone at both ends with screws. Typically, this rod will provide enough support to allow some weight bearing even before the bone has healed (the orthopaedic surgeon will determine weight bearing status on a case by case basis, however).
Femoral shaft fractures can also occur in individuals who have had previous orthopaedic surgery, such as hip replacement. In this instance, there is already a device occupying the femoral canal (the hip stem). Plates and screws are one possible treatment in this situation where a rod cannot be placed.
Fracture locations:
Hip fracture (proximal femur fracture)
Thigh fracture (femur shaft fracture)
Knee fracture (distal femur, patella, and tibial plateau fractures)
Shin fracture (tibial shaft fracture)
Ankle fracture (including pilon fracture)
Shoulder fracture (proximal humerus, and clavicle fractures)