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Fractures & Dislocation Information > What Are Fractures? A fracture is the interruption of a bone's wholeness. A crack or a break in a bone is a fracture. There are many different types of fractures:
Fractures can be displaced or not displaced. A displaced fracture means the bone has shifted its position. Fractures can also be simple or compound. A simple break is often hidden beneath the skin and needs an x-ray to tell if the bone is broken. Compound fractures are sometimes easy to tell since the broken bone often breaks through the skin. In young people, bones often heal quickly with no lasting bad effects and mild healed fracture deformities smooth out as time passes and radiographs may not be able to detect that there had been a fracture. Causes of Fractures? Accidents such as falls are the most common cause of fractures. Stress fractures are breaks in a bone caused by repetitive stress. They can occur in any bone, but most often occur in the metatarsal bones of the foot. In women, osteoporosis can cause bones to break. In fact, it causes more than 1.5 million fractures each year. Symptoms of Fractures?
Treatment of Fractures? The goal of treating broken bones is to set them, making them whole again. A cracked bone or stress fracture may only need a splint for a short time. Using a cast for several weeks can treat most bones that have remained in place. Bones that have been displaced often need surgery. As in the case of any suspected fracture, seek medical care as soon as possible. Many tissues quickly lose their elasticity and must be promptly treated in order to assure maximum healing. Immediately after injury, use blankets to decrease the possibility of shock. Cut away clothing, if possible, but do not move the injured limb to do so. Follow directions for R.I.C.E.:
Your doctor will examine the fracture site for neurovascular damage and take x-rays of the injured area, including the joints above and below the primary injury site. He or she will ask for details about how the injury occurred, and will need to know about previous conditions of the fractured bone. In most cases, your doctor will realign the broken bones without performing surgery. When surgery is required, nails or pins are used to hold the bone fragments together. Appropriate analgesia is used and outpatient pain medication is prescribed. Surgical risk increases with smoking and/or the use of drugs, including mind-altering drugs, muscle relaxants, antihypertensives, tranquilizers, sleep inducers, insulin, sedatives, beta-adrenergic blockers, and corticosteroids. Drink only water before manipulation or surgery. To assure healing, follow the instructions given by your doctor. If possible, arrange your bed so that your upper body is elevated while you sleep. Some patients need to sleep in a chair. Eating highly nutritious foods promotes the healing process. Acetaminophen is useful for mild pain. If a cast is not necessary, continue R.I.C.E. instructions for 48 hours after injury. After that time, hot baths, showers, whirlpools, compresses, heating ointments and liniments all increase blood circulation to the injury, ease discomfort, and help tissues heal. If a cast is worn, use a heat lamp or heating pad to penetrate the cast and provide heat to the injury. After the cast is removed, use frequent ice massage. Fill a large Styrofoam cup with water and freeze. Tear a small amount of foam from the top of the cup so the ice protrudes, and massage firmly over the injured area in a circle about the size of a baseball. Do this for 15 minutes at a time, 3 or 4 times a day. Actively exercise all muscle groups that are not immobilized, as muscle contractions promote fracture realignment and hasten healing. The average healing time for most fractures is 6 to 8 weeks. Healing is considered complete when there is no motion at the fracture site and x-rays reveal complete bone union. The information provided herein is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting a licensed physician. ©2000 DynoMed.com, LLC, Indianapolis, IN |