“I think it’s premature quite frankly to speculate on what his recovery will look like,” State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters during a briefing in Washington. “Let’s let him get back to Boston, get the treatment he needs, and then I think his doctor will provide more information.” She said Kerry “is committed to an aggressive, ambitious, and responsible recovery timeline.”

. . .
Hip replacements typically involve inserting a metal stem into the femur, also called the thigh bone, which is hollow. The bone then bonds with this stem. Sometimes, subsequent fractures in the area near where the metal stem was inserted can displace the implant, which would require surgeons to replace that stem. “Implants are like cars — there are lots of different types and models. Some of [the stems] go a third of the way down the femur,” said Dr. Vivek Shah, a surgeon at New England Baptist Hospital who specializes in hip and knee surgery.

If that metal implant was disturbed when Kerry hit a curb and fell off his bike while cycling in the Alps, or if the fracture was in this area of his thigh, he may require insertion of another, longer rod to fix the hip replacement, in addition to plates, screws, and cables to stabilize the new fracture, said surgeons who read about Kerry’s accident but have not examined him. This worst-case scenario would likely mean a longer recovery period, as long as three months with limited weight bearing, surgeons said.“If he is lucky enough, and it’s a femur fracture that does not involve his hip or knee, he could get it fixed with plates and screws,” said Dr. Douglas Ayres, chief of joint replacement at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In that case, recovery could be as short as six to eight weeks.

But what about air travel for Kerry, who has kept up a dizzying pace of globe-trotting over the past two years, and is staring at the June 30 Iran-deal deadline? “He is healthy, and a young 71. This guy was bicycling. As long as he didn’t have a terrible injury it’s possible,” he may be able to fly by the end of the month, said Dr. Michael Parks, a surgeon specializing in joint replacement at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Dr. Dennis Burke, an orthopaedic surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, said the surgical procedure to repair Kerry's broken femur "was uncomplicated, the fracture was fully repaired, and we plan to get him up walking on Wednesday." He said the surgery was done using a regional anesthetic, and Kerry was conscious throughout the 4-hour operation.
"I anticipate a short hospitalization, a full and complete recovery, and a return to normal function," Burke added. "I do not anticipate that this will interfere with his duties as Secretary of State."

The following is attributable to Dr. Dennis Burke, Orthopedic Surgeon, Massachusetts General Hospital and Clinical Instructor in Orthopedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School:

"This morning Secretary Kerry underwent a surgical procedure to repair his broken femur. The procedure was performed under a regional anesthetic and the Secretary was conscious throughout the four-hour operation."
"The procedure was uncomplicated, the fracture was fully repaired, and we plan to get him up walking on Wednesday."
"I anticipate a short hospitalization, a full and complete recovery, and a return to normal function."
"I do not anticipate that this will interfere with his duties as Secretary of State."

But White House spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki, who used to work for Kerry at the State department, claimed the accident would not slow down the globetrotting envoy.

"I would love to see anyone at the hospital try to stop John Kerry from negotiating and working while recovering from breaking his leg," she tweeted.