Distal Femur Fracture Fixation — KEVIN PARVARESH, MD

Pain Medications

In most cases local or regional nerve blocks will provide 8-12 hours of numbness.
As soon as you start to feel the numbness wearing off, begin taking oral pain medication.
Take Tylenol 500mg one tab every 8 hours.
Take Aleve (Naproxen) 220mg two tabs (440mg total) every 12 hours with food.
If you still have pain after Tylenol and Aleve/Naproxen, take one Percocet tab (5mg/325mg).
If you still have pain after all of the above, take a second Percocet tab.
Keep in mind Percocet has Tylenol in it (325mg). If you take an extra Percocet, skip a dose of Tylenol.
DO NOT exceed 3500mg of Tylenol over 24 hours.
It is illegal to drive or operate machinery with narcotic medications.
Do not combine alcohol or other sedatives with narcotic medications.
You do not need to take pain medications once you no longer have pain.
You should stop the Percocet first (usually 1-2 weeks), then wean off the others over the next 1-2 weeks

Other Medications

Take Aspirin 325mg one tab once a day for the first 4 weeks to prevent blood clots.
Take Zofran as needed for nausea (usually associated with anesthesia/narcotic meds).
Take an over-the-counter stool softener (Docusate/Senna/Miralax) as needed for constipation.

Activity

Use crutches or a walker to assist with ambulation.
You may not put any weight on your operative extremity.
Elevate your operative extremity above the heart as much as possible to decrease swelling.
Avoid prolonged periods standing to prevent excessive pain and swelling.

Recovery Equipment

You should wear the knee brace at all times day and night locked in full extension.
You may remove the brace to perform recovery exercises and hygiene, but keep your knee straight.

Cold Therapy

We recommend cold therapy use as much as possible in the first two weeks.
Cold therapy units may be used continuously as instructed.
Ice packs should be applied 30 minutes at a time, with 30 minutes off between applications.
Do not apply ice directly to the skin to avoid burning.

Recovery Exercises

You may perform quad sets and ankle exercises as instructed in your preoperative packet.
Your motion goal should be to have 0-60 degrees of knee motion at your 6 week postoperative visit.
Begin physical therapy about two weeks after surgery, after your first postoperative visit.

Diet: Please refer to your preoperative packet instructions.

Incision Care: Please refer to your preoperative packet instructions.

Emergencies: Please refer to your preoperative packet instructions.

Therapy Plan: Twice per week for 0-3 months, once per week for 3-6 months

ROM Progression

Brace locked in extension for 0-2 weeks for soft tissue healing.

Passive knee motion for 2-6 weeks after surgery with gentle progression as follows:

Weight Bearing Progression

Initially NO weight bearing for 8-12 weeks after surgery

Progress weight bearing after surgeon clearance over 2 weeks
Do NOT progress to one crutch - gait must be pain free and non-compensatory to remove both crutches

Initial Post-Operative Physical Therapy Visit

Phase 1 Physical Therapy (2-6 weeks): protect the joint, fracture healing

NO open-chain exercises
Manual therapy 20+ minutes per session
Soft tissue mobilization, patellar mobilization, isometric exercises, core strengthening

Phase 2 Physical Therapy (6-12 weeks): progressive strengthening

Wean out of brace after 6 weeks
Gradually progress weight bearing as above only after surgeon clearance
Tactile and verbal cueing to enable non-compensatory gait patterning
Standing weight shifts, backward/lateral walking without resistance (NO pivoting)
Soft tissue mobilization, patellar mobilization, isometric exercises, core strengthening

Phase 3 Physical Therapy (12-24 weeks): return to pre-injury level