Fractures (Broken Bones)

A fracture is a broken bone. A bone may be completely fractured or partially fractured in any number of ways (crosswise, lengthwise, in multiple pieces).

Types of Fractures

If the bone breaks in such a way that bone fragments stick out through the skin, or a wound penetrates down to the broken bone, the fracture is called an “open” fracture. This type of fracture is particularly serious because once the skin is broken, infection in both the wound and the bone can occur.

How do fractures happen?

The most common causes of fractures is:

• Trauma. A fall, a motor vehicle accident, or a tackle during a football game can all result in fractures.

Symptoms

Many fractures are very painful and may prevent you from moving the injured area. Other common symptoms include:

• Swelling and tenderness around the injury
• Bruising
• Deformity — a limb may look “out of place” or a part of the bone may puncture through the skin
• The patient will not be able to walk or use the limb

Doctor Examination

Your doctor will do a careful examination to assess your overall condition, as well as the extent of the injury. He or she will talk with you about how the injury occurred, your symptoms, and medical history.

The most common way to evaluate a fracture is with x-rays, which provide clear images of bone. Your doctor will likely use an x-ray to verify the diagnosis. X-rays can show whether a bone is intact or broken. They can also show the type of fracture and exactly where it is located within the bone.

Treatment

All forms of treatment of broken bones follow one basic rule: the broken pieces must be put back into position and prevented from moving out of place until they are healed. In many cases, the doctor will restore parts of a broken bone back to the original position. The technical term for this process is “reduction.”

Surgery is sometimes required to treat a fracture. The type of treatment required depends on the severity of the break, whether it is “open” or “closed,” and the specific bone involved. For example, a broken bone in the spine (vertebra) is treated differently from a broken leg bone or a broken hip.

Doctors use a variety of treatments to treat fractures:

 Cast Immobilization

A plaster or fiberglass cast is the most common type of fracture treatment because most broken bones can heal successfully once they have been repositioned and a cast has been applied to keep the broken ends in proper position while they heal.

 Functional Cast or Brace

The cast or brace allows limited or “controlled” movement of nearby joints. This treatment is desirable for some, but not all, fractures.

 Traction

Traction is usually used to align a bone or bones by a gentle, steady pulling action.

 External Fixation

In this type of operation, metal pins or screws are placed into the broken bone above and below the fracture site. The pins or screws are connected to a metal bar outside the skin. This device is a stabilizing frame that holds the bones in the proper position while they heal.

In cases where the skin and other soft tissues around the fracture are badly damaged, an external fixator may be applied until surgery can be tolerated.

An external fixator applied to a broken thighbone.

 Open Reduction and Internal Fixation

During this operation, the bone fragments are first repositioned (reduced) in their normal alignment and then held together with special screws or by attaching metal plates to the outer surface of the bone. The fragments may also be held together by inserting rods down through the marrow space in the center of the bone.

A specially designed metal rod, called an intramedullary nail, provides strong fixation for this thighbone fracture.

The broken bones of the forearm are held in position by plates and screws while they heal.

Recovery

Fractures take several weeks to several months to heal, depending on the extent of the injury and how well you follow your doctor’s advice. The pain usually stops long before the fracture is solid enough to handle the stresses of normal activity.

Even after your cast or brace is removed, you may need to continue limiting your movement until the bone is solid enough for normal activity.

During your recovery, you will likely lose muscle strength in the injured area. Specific exercises will help you restore normal muscle strength, joint motion, and flexibility.

With modern fracture care, a patient can be back on his/her feet fully within a few weeks depending on the nature of the fracture.

For more information please call 08185559371 or 09055677083