Question:medium
Why should a fracture of the shaft of the femur be stabilised early?
Why should a fracture of the shaft of the femur be stabilised early?
Show Hint
A single femoral shaft fracture can bleed up to two litres.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- To prevent blood loss
- ARDS
- Non union
- Compartment syndrome
Show Solution
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: A femoral shaft fracture sits within a thick muscular thigh fed by sizeable vessels, making it one of the long-bone fractures most prone to heavy internal bleeding.
Step 2: Estimates put the haemorrhage from one femoral shaft break at as much as 2 litres, enough to drop the blood pressure dangerously. Splinting or fixing the bone early realigns the fragments, compresses the bleeding tissues, and curbs further loss, so haemorrhage control is the leading reason to act fast.
Step 3: The remaining choices matter less acutely: prompt fixation does cut the chance of fat embolism and ARDS, but those are secondary to the immediate bleeding threat; non-union is a delayed union problem rather than an emergency trigger; and compartment syndrome is uncommon in the roomy thigh after an isolated closed fracture.
Step 4: Care begins with a temporary Thomas splint and proceeds to surgery, but the urgent driver for early stabilisation is to stem blood loss.
\[\boxed{\text{To prevent blood loss}}\]
Step 2: Estimates put the haemorrhage from one femoral shaft break at as much as 2 litres, enough to drop the blood pressure dangerously. Splinting or fixing the bone early realigns the fragments, compresses the bleeding tissues, and curbs further loss, so haemorrhage control is the leading reason to act fast.
Step 3: The remaining choices matter less acutely: prompt fixation does cut the chance of fat embolism and ARDS, but those are secondary to the immediate bleeding threat; non-union is a delayed union problem rather than an emergency trigger; and compartment syndrome is uncommon in the roomy thigh after an isolated closed fracture.
Step 4: Care begins with a temporary Thomas splint and proceeds to surgery, but the urgent driver for early stabilisation is to stem blood loss.
\[\boxed{\text{To prevent blood loss}}\]
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