permanent leg injuries from a car crash

[cheapgoat]

I'm writing a story in which a character is in a car crash and ends up in the ICU. When she comes out of surgery, it's found that one of her legs is permanently damaged in some way (along with some broken ribs and a concussion, as the crash was head on and quite severe). I couldn't think of the details of an injury that would leave her leg there

Comments

[philo7]

As someone injured in a serious head-on collision in the last fortnight, I wonder if I could pose a couple of questions that may or may not be helpful in shaping your story

[alassenya]

If your character is the driver then she will almost certainly have a serious knee injury (or hip injury) from the knee hitting the base of the dashboard. Intra-articular fractures don't usually heal well as there is a lot of damage to cartilage, and even when operated on immediately they often develop early osteoarthritis (though that is usually five to ten years later). The knee may undergo a complete posterior dislocation, which would damage all the soft tissues (tendons, ligaments, nerves, blood vessels) or, alternatively, the knee may remain intact but the whole femur is forced posteriorly resulting in a posterior fracture-dislocation of the hip, which might well cause a sciatic nerve injury as well as pelvic fracture

thank you all

[cheapgoat]

I realise that I phrased a few things ambiguously, and you all helped me realise that. Thank you for all of your suggestions, they really helped and now things are in motion c: