All You Need to Know About Bone Fractures

An accident while playing sports, driving, or a fall in your bathroom can impact your bones. Sometimes, you might experience minor injuries such as dislocation, and other times the bone might fracture.

Other than accidents, a bone fracture might be a result of some medical conditions that weaken your bone, such as bone cancer, osteoporosis, osteogenesis. Osteogenesis is a genetic condition that causes the weakening of your bones. If the fracture is a result of a medical condition, it is known as a pathological fracture.

What Is a Bone Fracture?

A break is not a common word among medical professionals, especially orthopedics. Instead, they use a crack to refer to a bone fracture. A fracture can occur on any part of the body, including the skull.

Depending on the impact or health condition, a bone fracture can be closed or open. A closed bone fracture occurs when your bone breaks without causing any damage to the surrounding tissue. If the fracture damages the surrounding tissue, it is referred to as an open or compound fracture.

Compound fractures are more dangerous than closed ones since you might be at risk of infection. Therefore, you should consider visiting an emergency room near you for treatments.

Types of Fractures

There are several types of fractures, which include:

• An avulsion fracture- occurs when a ligament or muscle pulls on the bone, fracturing it
• Communited fracture- happens when your bone is shattered into many pieces
• Compression fracture- occurs on the spongy bone of the spine, mainly due to osteoporosis
• Dislocation-occurs when the joint is dislocated, causing a fracture
• Green-stick fracture-characterized by the bone getting fractured on one side without causing the bone to break since the rest of it can bend
• Hairline fracture-a partial fracture on the bone that can be sometimes difficult to detect through x-rays
• Impacted fracture- happens when a part of the bone gets fractured and gets in another part
• Intraarticular fracture- characterized by a bone break that extends to the surface of the joint
• Oblique fracture- a fracture that is diagonal to the bone’s long axis
• Longitudinal fracture- happens along the long axis of the bone
• Pathological fracture- occurs due to a medical condition such as osteoporosis or osteogenesis
• Spiral fracture- happens when one part of the bone is twisted
• Stress fracture- it is common among athletes and is caused by repeated strains or stress on the bone or joint
• Transverse fracture- a straight break across the bone
• Torus fracture- occurs when the bone gets deformed without breaking, especially among children

Symptoms of a Bone Fracture

Some of the signs and symptoms of a fracture include:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Bruising at the site of fracturing
• Discolored skin on the site of injury
• The affected area might have an unusual angle
• The patient might experience difficulties putting weight on the affected area
• A grating sensation on the affected area
• Difficulties moving the affected area
• Bleeding if the fracture is open

In case the fracture affects a large area, the patient might have the following symptoms:

• Look pale and clammy
• Dizziness
• Nausea or a feeling of sickness

If the patient is having difficulties moving to the nearest health care facility, you should consider contacting paramedics for emergency care services. Alternatively, you can perform first aid if you have any skills and apply a splint when necessary.

Whether you have a partial or complete fracture, you should consider immediate treatments. If the fracture is left untreated, you might be at risk of developing infections or the need for amputation.

Diagnosis and Treatment at an Emergency Room near Me

If you have a fracture, your doctor at the emergency room will carry out a physical exam, which might be followed by imaging tests, such as x-rays, ultrasound, MRI, and CT-Scan.

Since bone healing is a natural process, the specialist offers treatments that aim to improve the function and mobility of the site of injury. To promote bone healing, the specialist recommends fracture reduction.

Fracture reduction involves pulling bone ligaments or surgery. Therefore, the doctor administers general anesthesia to make you feel relaxed during the procedure. The doctor will then immobilize the affected area and apply a plaster cast.

Finding an ER Near Me

If you have a bone fracture and need emergency care near you, you can contact us at Alamo City Urgent Care.