Many of the most common car accident injuries involve the neck and brain, like concussions and whiplash, but the entire body is in danger upon impact. Legs are actually a very common injury site in these situations because they may move in abnormal or unnatural ways during a crash. They can also be caught in parts of the vehicle that are crushed like the dashboard. Whatever injuries your legs have sustained, you’ll want to visit a car accident clinic for a thorough evaluation of your leg injuries. Read on to learn about some of the injuries most commonly seen by a specialist.
Surface Skin Injuries
While some cuts and bruises are mild and will heal on their own, they can vary in seriousness and some may need additional attention. A deep cut can not only take longer to heal, but may also require stitches to prevent blood loss and allow the skin to mend. Injuries to some areas of the leg may hinder your ability to walk or move normally, and areas like the knee or ankle may take longer to heal as the skin moves often. If these surface skin injuries are not treated properly, they can lead to infections or scarring, so even if your car accident injuries are minor, they require attention.
Muscles Strains and Tears
The movement of a car crash can cause the soft tissue of the legs, including muscles, tendons, and ligaments, to stretch beyond their normal capacity. This can lead to strain in these tissues, or in more severe cases tears. This is similar to what occurs when you suffer from whiplash, but with the pain and stiffness in your leg rather than your shoulder. You may need to use crutches or a brace to help stabilize the leg during recovery, and an expert at a car accident clinic can direct you toward the best treatment plan for optimal healing.
Dislocations
When any joint is hit with enough impact, it can knock the bone out of place; this is also true of joints in the leg like hips, knees, or ankles. In some cases, this damage will be visible, but even when it isn’t, a dislocation comes with extreme pain. You will most likely be rendered immobile by a dislocated joint in your leg. An x-ray or MRI may be ordered to determine the severity of the dislocation and to see if any surrounding tissue was damaged by the movement.
Broken Bones
The legs contain a number of bones, including some of the longest in the body like the femur, tibia, and fibula. These bones can break or shatter during the crash and in some cases, a bone may even protrude through the skin. The more complicated the break, the longer healing may take, but most broken bones will require immobilization like a cast to allow the bone to grow back together.
Deep Vein Thrombosis
If you have a blood clot located anywhere in your body, a sudden impact like a car accident can cause it to dislodge and travel to your leg. A blood clot in your leg puts you at a higher risk of a pulmonary embolism, which can be fatal if not addressed. Pain that does not seem to have a root cause, swelling for no reason, and discoloration of the leg are all signs of DVT and should be immediately evaluated to prevent any problems.
Knee Injuries
Among the most common injuries in a rear-end collision are knee injuries. The knee cap, also known as the patella, is likely to be injured in a crash if it hits against a hard surface like a steering wheel or dashboard. This impact can often break or dislocate the patella, which is especially common in a head-on collision. Sometimes immobilization is enough to fix the issue, though surgery is not uncommon in these cases. Other knee injuries like a torn meniscus or ACL can also lead to knee surgery being necessary. Getting treated at a car accident clinic for a knee injury will help you get on the quickest road to recovery with the most effective treatment options available.
Broken Hips
When the hop breaks at the upper end of the femur, a hip fracture has occurred and can be extremely painful and difficult to treat. Because of the hip’s location, an injury like this can also impact the pelvis and therefore impede balance and mobility. The damage may heal over a significant length of time or require surgery.
Any symptoms in the legs warrant a trip to a car accident clinic for proper diagnosis and to develop a treatment plan. Serious injuries to the legs can lead to lifelong problems with mobility and movement, so it is important to treat these injuries before they worsen.
