Bone Fracture Treatment

FRACTURES | CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT

A bone fracture is a medical condition where the continuity of the bone in broken. Majority of the percentage of fractures occur because of stress or high force impact. Fractures can also be the result of medical conditions which weaken the structure of the bones: osteoporosis, some cancers, or osteogenesis (brittle bone disease)

Some interesting facts on bone fractures:

Most bone fractures are caused by falls and accidents

Bone fractures caused by disease are referred to as pathological fractures

A compound fracture is one that also causes injury to overlaying skin

There are a number of different types of fractures, including avulsion, comminuted, and hairline fractures

Healing of the bones is a natural process, the treatments around fractures are about giving the bone optimum conditions to heal itself

Types of Bone Fractures:

Avulsion fracture – Muscle or ligament pulls on the bone
Comminuted fracture – the bone is shattered into many pieces
Compression fracture – occurs in the spongy bone in the spine
Fracture dislocation – a joint becomes dislocated, and one of the bones in the joint has a fracture
Greenstick fracture – the bone fractures partly on one side, but does not break completely because the rest of the bone can bend
Hairline fracture – A partial fracture of the bone. This type of fracture is harder to detect with an x-ray.
Impacted fracture – When the bone fractures, a piece of it goes into another bone
Intraarticular fracture – Where the break extends into the surface of the joint
Longitudinal fracture – The break is along the length of the bone
Oblique fracture – A fracture that is diagonal to the bone’s long axis
Pathological fracture – An underlying disease weakens the bone to the point where it fractures
Spiral fracture – A fracture where one part of the bone has been twisted
Stress fracture – When a bone breaks because of repeated stresses and strains
Torus (buckle) fracture – Bone deforms but does not crack.
Transverse fracture – A straight break right across the bone

SYMPTOMS OF A FRACTURE

Symptoms of a fracture will vary depending on which bone was affected, also varying on the patients age and general health. However the symptoms of a fracture will include some of the following:

Pain
Swelling
Bruising
Discolored skin around affected area
Angulation
Patient is unable to put weight on the affected area
There is no mobility in the affected area
The affected joint or bone will have a grating sensation
There may be bleeding if it is an open fracture

If a large bone is affected:

The person injured may look pale and clammy
Dizziness
Feeling sick or Nausea

CAUSES OF A FRACTURE

Most fractures are caused either by bad fall or an automobile accident. Healthy bones are tougher and more

resilient to impacts, but as people age, 2 factors increase the risk of a fracture: weaker bones, and greater risk

of falling. People with underlying conditions that weaken their bones have a higher risk of fractures.

Osteoporosis, infection, or a tumor can weaken then bones, thus increasing the risk of a fracture, as listed

above, these are known as a pathological fracture.

TREATMENT FOR A FRACTURE

Treatments for fractures revolve around giving the fracture the most optimum conditions for it to heal in (immobilization). Bone healing is a natural process which occurs automatically. Fracture treatment is usually aimed at making sure there is the best possible function of the injured part after healing.

Immobilization – As soon as the bones are aligned, they must stay aligned while they heal.

Healing – Once the broken bone has been aligned properly and kept immobile, the healing process is straight forward. New bone cells absorb old and damaged bone while new bone cells are created to replace the new bone.

Physical Therapy – After the bone has been healed, it may be necessary to restore muscle strength as well as mobility to the affected joint. If the fracture occurred near or through a joint, there is a risk of permanent stiffness or arthritis.

Bone Fracture Treatment

FRACTURES | CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT

Some interesting facts on bone fractures:

Most bone fractures are caused by falls and accidents

Bone fractures caused by disease are referred to as pathological fractures

A compound fracture is one that also causes injury to overlaying skin

There are a number of different types of fractures, including avulsion, comminuted, and hairline fractures

Healing of the bones is a natural process, the treatments around fractures are about giving the bone optimum conditions to heal itself

Types of Bone Fractures:

Avulsion fracture – Muscle or ligament pulls on the bone

Comminuted fracture – the bone is shattered into many pieces

Compression fracture – occurs in the spongy bone in the spine

Fracture dislocation – a joint becomes dislocated, and one of the bones in the joint has a fracture

Greenstick fracture – the bone fractures partly on one side, but does not break completely because the rest of the bone can bend

Hairline fracture – A partial fracture of the bone. This type of fracture is harder to detect with an x-ray.

Impacted fracture – When the bone fractures, a piece of it goes into another bone

Intraarticular fracture – Where the break extends into the surface of the joint

Longitudinal fracture – The break is along the length of the bone

Oblique fracture – A fracture that is diagonal to the bone’s long axis

Pathological fracture – An underlying disease weakens the bone to the point where it fractures

Spiral fracture – A fracture where one part of the bone has been twisted

Stress fracture – When a bone breaks because of repeated stresses and strains

Torus (buckle) fracture – Bone deforms but does not crack.

Transverse fracture – A straight break right across the bone

SYMPTOMS OF A FRACTURE

Symptoms of a fracture will vary depending on which bone was affected, also varying on the patients age and general health. However the symptoms of a fracture will include some of the following:

Pain

Swelling

Bruising

Discolored skin around affected area

Angulation

Patient is unable to put weight on the affected area

There is no mobility in the affected area

The affected joint or bone will have a grating sensation

There may be bleeding if it is an open fracture

If a large bone is affected:

The person injured may look pale and clammy

Dizziness

Feeling sick or Nausea

CAUSES OF A FRACTURE

Most fractures are caused either by bad fall or an automobile accident. Healthy bones are tougher and more

resilient to impacts, but as people age, 2 factors increase the risk of a fracture: weaker bones, and greater risk

of falling. People with underlying conditions that weaken their bones have a higher risk of fractures.

Osteoporosis, infection, or a tumor can weaken then bones, thus increasing the risk of a fracture, as listed

above, these are known as a pathological fracture.

TREATMENT FOR A FRACTURE

Immobilization – As soon as the bones are aligned, they must stay aligned while they heal.

Healing – Once the broken bone has been aligned properly and kept immobile, the healing process is straight forward. New bone cells absorb old and damaged bone while new bone cells are created to replace the new bone.

Physical Therapy – After the bone has been healed, it may be necessary to restore muscle strength as well as mobility to the affected joint. If the fracture occurred near or through a joint, there is a risk of permanent stiffness or arthritis.