Bone Fractures
What is it?
A fracture is nothing but ‘broken bones’. The susceptibility to fractures depends on the individual’s age, strength and to some extent lifestyle. Old people often fall or slip and suffer from fractures due to already fragile bones, the reason of fractures in children can be afall from bikes, cycles or while playing. Broken bones can happen after accidents, falls or being struck by something.
Plusosteoporosis is another cause that makes bones weak and brittle, thus increasing the risk of fracture.
Types Of Fracture:
Simple fracture: Regular fracture
Complete fractures: Bone break into two or more parts.
Incomplete fractures: Bone has cracked but not totally broken
Compound fracture: Bone has broken and protruding out of the skin.
Further divide into:
- Greenstick (incomplete) fracture: Occurs mostly in children wherein the bone is bent.
- Transverse fracture: Fracture at 90 degree to the axis of the bone
- Oblique fracture: Sloped or curved patterned of the bone that has broken.
- Comminuted fracture: bone fragmented into many pieces
- Impacted fracture: Ends of the bones are driven into each other, hence also known as ‘buckle fracture’.
- Pathologic fracture: Due to weakened bones.
- Other types: Stress fracture, hairline fracture.
Symptoms:
- Bone bruising or swelling
- Deformity
- Functional loss in the affected area
- Severe pain in the injured area
- Unable to bear movement or pressure on injured area.
- Loss of function in the injured area.
- Protruding bones (in case of compound fractures)
Causes may include:
- Fall/ accident
- Trauma
- Osteoporisis
- Inheritance of weak bones
- Age factor
- Bone cancer
Diagnosis Tests:
Following diagnostic tests are commonly conducted to determine the type of bone fracture:
- Medical history
- Physical examination
- X-rays
- Imaging tests- CT scan, MRI, ultrasound, etc.
Prevention & Safety Precautions:
- Must wear a seat belt when riding in a car.
- Helmets and protective pads are recommended for sports, cycling and bikes
- Ideal to maintain the staircase and walkways free of objects that obstruct and can cause to trip over.
- Regular exercise
- Healthy diet
Aternative Therapies:
Often supportive care is required to ease emotional upheaval.
Regular follow-up with your doctor is utmost important post-treatment.
