What is the embolism risk from bone injury? how long is a person at risk of an embolism as the result of a traumatic bone injury?

This : This is an excellent question and one that many orthopaedic surgeons wish we had the answer to. Simply, we don't know. I have seen patients have a pe several months after their trauma. However, much more typical is the first month after the trauma. We think that the clot that causes the pe is formed after a trauma partly due to immobility associated with the pain and bed rest that may accompany surgery to treat a fracture limb. Trauma also causes the body to produce many inflammatory mediators, which can cause blood to clot more readily. Again though, we just do not understand well why people get dvts and pes after skeletal trauma. As a rule of thumb, all musculoskeletal trauma patients get started on blood thinners like enoxaparin at the time they are admitted to the hospital, and they continue it until they are getting up and around readily. Sometimes this means sending them home with the medication for a week or so.

Bone embolism: Fat embolism syndrome is a problem usually reserved for major multitrauma involving the long bones (femur and tibia). The big problems are usually in the first week or so. Blood clots from not using your legs after surgery can persist longer and the blood clots can go to your lungs - embolism.