Leg Injuries and Disorders

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Images

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Your legs are made up of bones, blood vessels, muscles, and other connective tissue. They are important for motion and standing. Playing sports, running, falling, or having an accident can damage your legs. Common leg injuries include sprains and strains, joint dislocations, and fractures (broken bones).

These injuries can affect the entire leg, or just the foot, ankle, knee, or hip. Certain diseases also lead to leg problems. For example, knee osteoarthritis, common in older people, can cause pain and limited motion. Problems in your veins in your legs can lead to varicose veins or deep vein thrombosis.

Start Here

• Leg Problems (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Ankle-Brachial Index (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Leg Problems (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• X-Ray Exam: Femur (Upper Leg) (Nemours Foundation)
• X-Ray Exam: Leg Length (Nemours Foundation)
• X-Ray Exam: Lower Leg (Tibia and Fibula) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Living With

• Mobility Aids: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• What Are Sports Injuries? (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Achilles Tendon Rupture (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Broken Leg (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Buerger's Disease (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Claudication (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Femur Shaft Fractures (Broken Thighbone) (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Leg Swelling (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Lymphedema (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Meralgia Paresthetica (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Night Leg Cramps (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Peripheral Arterial Disease and Claudication (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Shin Splints (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Thrombophlebitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Tibia (Shinbone) Shaft Fractures (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Troyer Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Images

• Stasis Ulcer (VisualDX)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Intermittent Claudication (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Leg Injuries (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Leg Length Inequality (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Leg Ulcer (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Muscle Cramp (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Biomechanical testing of different fixation techniques for intraoperative proximal femur fractures:...
• Article: A randomised, open-label, parallel-group, multicentre, comparative study to compare the efficacy...
• Article: The effect of pre-operative carbohydrate loading in femur fracture: a randomized...
• Leg Injuries and Disorders -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish

Children

• Bowlegs and Knock-Knees (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Growing Pains (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Growth Plate Injuries (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Intoeing (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Knock Knees (Genu Valgum) (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
• Leg lengthening - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• What a Pain! Kids and Growing Pains (Nemours Foundation)

Teenagers

• Blount Disease (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• Blount disease (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Bowlegs (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Common peroneal nerve dysfunction (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Femoral nerve dysfunction (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Femur fracture repair - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Foot, leg, and ankle swelling (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Iliotibial band syndrome -- aftercare (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Ischemic ulcers -- self-care (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Knock knees (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Leg pain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Shin splints - self-care (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Venous insufficiency (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish