Leg fractures in four places?

i'm writing a novel and in it one of my charcters breaks her leg in three places after running into the road and being hit by a car. i was just wondering if anyone knew what they would do medically, i'm not sure if they would plaster it or operate. i also need to know who long she would be in hospital, if anyone knows i would be grateful for your input.

Oooh, how fun! OK, here we go. First of all, if the character is an adult, then the bumper would probably impact her femur (the long bone from the knee to the hip). Since the injury is from being hit by a car, then she would very likely have a cut to her leg, too. I mention that because any fracture with a laceration over it, or even worse, with the bone sticking out of the skin, is called an open fracture. All open fractures have to be operated on ASAP. The reason is that the open wound directly over a broken bone sets the patient up for serious infection of the bone itself, called osteomyelitis. Even if you choose not to make the fracture open, it would still be operated on, it just wouldn't be an emergency. Orthopedic surgeons usually do a procedure called an IM Nail, or intramedullary nail, to fix a fractured femur. Next would be the two bones in the lower leg (knee to ankle). They are called the tibia and the fibula. A person hit by a car could break either of these or both of these in either one place or multiple places. They would also be operated on (especially if you make these open fractures, too.), but the procedure for these bones is called and ORIF, or open reduction internal fixation. If the broken leg was your character's only injury, then the hopital stay would only be several days. Long enough to get physical therapy and learn to walk on crutches and also to get IV antibiotics if the fractures were open. If there are other injuries, then the hospital stay might need to be longer. Hope this helps--can't wait to read your book!

i know she would be in a cast for a while....you can stop by any hospital and ask.

Operate or do a open reduction(metal plates and screws) of the fracture.

It depends upon the severity and type of fractures, but most likely, an open reduction with external fixation and pins

They would need pins and plates which would require a operation. If you want to be dramatic you could have them in skin traction or external/internal fixation. They would do this to stabilise the fracture. Have you thought about the fact that she is most likely to actually break her hip and or smash her pelvis. In which case she will be in hospital for quite a few weeks. How sick do you want to make her? i can tell you a lot of potential complications... either way she will need a operation and be i hospital for a while at best a week or two.

It all depends on what bone she breaks, if it is her tibia, they can put on a leg brace, that is what they did for me, and I hardly ever wore it, it pulled on it too much, but I did stay in bed and only walked a short distance to the bathroom. If it is the Fibula, they would put it in a cast because this is the larger of the 2 lower leg bones, it is a weight bearing bone. So is the upper leg bone, the Femur, this too they would put in a cast. I was sent home with 3 to 4 cracks in my tibia, on my right leg, and when I broke the left leg there were only 2 cracks but they were much longer cracks.
Another reason why I didn't wear the leg brace was because it wouldn't allow me to seat down on my toilet. It was too far of a drop for me to do with only one leg.

With that many breaks, she'd have to have surgery to stabilize the fractures. That would involved pins and/or metal plates. If there were no other injuries beyond that, she'd probably be in the hospital for about 3 days.

However, as a point of realism...I think it would be questionable that someone could be hit by a car, suffer that serious an injury to the leg, and NOT be at least somewhat injured otherwise. Just my feelings, anyway.

My mate had his leg broken in three places - just on knee and under. He slipped on the ladder. The next day they operated on him, and he was back home after 2 days in hospital. He had a big plaster on his leg and had to rest it as much as possible, though after 4 weeks he tried to walk a little - couldn't stick in one place! And the plaster was taken off after 4 months. - No complications, he walks fine now - with a tiny limp...