Broken femur (thigh bone)

At Boston Children’s Hospital, the first step in treating broken legs in children is to form an accurate and complete diagnosis.

A doctor will use different diagnostic tests to get detailed images of your child’s fracture. Typical tests include:           

• X-ray: a diagnostic test that uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of internal tissues, bones and organs onto film; usually sufficient for the majority of fractures.

• Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI): a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of large magnets, radiofrequencies and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body.

• Computed tomography scan (CT, CAT scan): a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of x-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images (often called slices), both horizontally and vertically, of the body.

• Bone scan: a painless  procedure that uses a radioactive substance to detect changes in joints and bones and determine the cause of unexplained pain