Our 13-year-old son fell while playing in a soccer tournament and busted up his thigh. He had to have surgery and two long, thin rods put down the inside of the bone. Now that we are four weeks into it, it occurred to me to ask what his chances are for a full recovery. Will he be able to walk without a limp? Play soccer at his usual full-speed-ahead approach?

The prognosis for healing of femoral fractures in children is extemely good. At his age, he most likely has not completed full (skeletal) growth or maturity. That’s to his advantage in terms of healing capacity. There are some other variables that may influence the final outcome.

For example, children who have severe fractures (especially if they are large children) may face some challenges other might not. The force and load of the leg itself and the body weight can limit some of the types of treatments available to smaller individuals.

Instead of a flexible rod placed down inside the bone, a rigid locked intramedullary nails often used for adults may be selected for older children/teens or heavier children. They are also the best choice when the fracture site is broken into many little pieces of bone or unstable for any other reason. This type of fixation does not have to be removed so that’s an advantage.

During the healing process the concern is for a nice union of the bone ends or fragments without rotation of the bone, loss of bone length, or evidence of growth disturbance. Barring any unforseen problems your son will probably be back on his feet with full weight-bearing seven or eight weeks after the surgery. It may take another four to six weeks to regain full strength and mobility. Unless the surgeon has suggested some reason why he might not resume sports with full participation, he should expect to be back in full action by next season.