FRACTURES

By Margaret Oster

Fracture is.....

A bone fracture is a break in a bone.

Fractures are common. Most people fracture at least one bone during their lifetime.

The severity of fractures increase with age. Children's bones are more flexible and less likely to break.

Older adults suffer from fractures more than children because their bones are more likely to be brittle.

Fractures occur when a bone can't withstand the physical force exerted on it.

Symptoms of Fracture

Swelling around the injured area

Loss of function in the injured area

Bruising around the injured area

Deformity of a limb

3 Types of Fractures I will describe

Stress: Hairline break that is often invisible on the x-ray for the first six weeks after the onset of pain.

Compound: Bone protrudes through the skin. Also called an open fracture..

Greenstick Fracture: the bone cracks but doesn't break all the way through — like when you try to break a green stick of wood.

Stress Fracture

A stress fracture is an overuse injury. It occurs when muscles become fatigued and are unable to absorb added shock. Eventually, the fatigued muscle transfers the overload of stress to the bone causing a tiny crack called a stress fracture.

Causes of Stress Fractures

Stress fractures often are the result of increasing the amount or intensity of an activity too rapidly.

They also can be caused by the impact of an unfamiliar surface

improper equipment increased physical stress

Symptoms of Stress Fractures

Pain with activity is the most common complaint with a stress fracture. This pain subsides with rest.

Treatment of Stress Fracture

The most important treatment is rest. Individuals need to rest from the activity that caused the stress fracture, and engage in a pain-free activity during the six to eight weeks it takes most stress fractures to heal.

In addition to rest, shoe inserts or braces may be used to help these injuries heal.

Compound Fracture

is an injury that occurs when there is a break in the skin around a broken bone.

In order for an injury to be classified as a compound fracture, the outside air must be able to get to the fracture site without a barrier of skin or soft-tissue.

Causes of Compound Fracture

Open fractures are typically caused by high-energy injuries such as car crashes, falls, or sports injuries.

Treatment of Compound Fracture

Compound fractures often require immediate surgery to clean the area of the injury.

Because of the break in the skin, debris and infection can travel to the fracture location, and lead to a high rate of infection in the bone. Treatment of established bone infections often requires multiple surgeries, prolonged antibiotic treatment, and long-term problems.

Greenstick Fracture

The name for a greenstick fracture comes from the analogy of breaking a young, fresh tree branch.

one side of the fracture has broken and one side is bent, so it is classified as an incomplete break.

Cause of Greenstick Fracture

child's bones are softer and more flexible than those of an adult, so they're more likely to bend than to break completely.

can be difficult to diagnose, because it may not cause all the classic signs and symptoms of a broken bone.

Treatment of Greenstick Fracture

Treatment for broken bones, even incomplete breaks such as a greenstick fracture, requires immobilization of your child's bone, so that the bone will grow back properly.

QUESTIONS!!!