What is a bone Fractures?
A bone fracture is the medical definition for a broken bone.
Fractures are usually caused by traumas like falls, car accidents or sports injuries. But some medical conditions and repetitive forces (like running) can increase your risk for experiencing certain types of fractures.
If you break a bone, you might need surgery to repair it. Some people only need a splint, cast, brace or sling for their bone to heal. How long it takes to recover fully depends on which of your bones are fractured, where the fracture is and what caused it.
Bone fracture vs. break
Bone fractures and broken bones are the same injury and mean the same thing. You might see them used interchangeably. A fracture is the medical term for a broken bone, so your healthcare provider will probably refer to your broken bone as a certain type of fracture after they diagnose it.
Bone fracture vs. bone bruise
Bone fractures and bone bruises are both painful injuries caused by a strong force hitting your body — usually a fall, car accident or sports injury. The difference is how damaged your bone is.
Your bones are living tissue that can get bruised in lots of the same ways your skin can. It takes much more force to bruise a bone than it does your skin, but the injury is very similar. If something hits your bones with enough force, they can bleed without being broken. Blood trapped under the surface of your bone after an injury is a bone bruise.
A bone fracture happens when something hits your bone with enough force not only to damage it, but to break it in at least one place. Fractures are more serious injuries and can take much longer to heal than bone bruises.
If you’ve experienced a trauma and have pain on or near a bone, go to the emergency room or visit your provider as soon as possible. No matter which injury you have, it’s important to get your bone examined right away.
Bone fractures vs. sprains
Bone fractures and sprains are common sports injuries.
If you experience a bone fracture, you’ve broken one or more of your bones. You can’t sprain a bone. A sprain happens when one of your ligaments is stretched or torn.
It’s possible to experience a bone fracture and a ligament sprain during the same injury, especially if you damage a joint like your knee or elbow.
Type's Of Bone fracture
There are a number of other fracture types, including:
Avulsion fracture: A muscle or ligament pulls on the bone, fracturing it.
Comminuted fracture: An impact shatters the bone into many pieces.
Compression, or crush, fracture: This generally occurs in the spongy bone in the spine. For example, the front portion of a vertebra in the spine may collapse due to osteoporosis.
Fracture dislocation: This occurs when a joint dislocates, and one of the bones of the joint fractures.
Greenstick fracture: The bone partly fractures on one side but does not break completely, because the rest of the bone can bend.
Hairline fracture: This is a thin, partial fracture of the bone.
Impacted fracture: When a bone fractures, a piece of the bone may impact another bone.
Intra-articular fracture: This occurs when a fracture extends into the surface of a joint.
Longitudinal fracture: This is when the fracture extends along the length of the bone.
Oblique fracture: An oblique fracture is one that occurs opposite to a bone’s long axis.
Pathological fracture: This occurs when an underlying condition weakens the bone and causes a fracture.
Spiral fracture: Here, at least one part of the bone twists during a break.
Stress fracture: Repeated stress and strain can fracture a bone. This is common Trusted Source among athletes.
Transverse fracture: This is a straight break across the bone.
Causes Of Bone Fracture
The following are common causes of broken bones:
Fall from a height
Trauma
Motor vehicle accidents
Direct blow
Child abuse
Repetitive forces, such as those caused by running, can cause stress fractures of the foot, ankle, tibia, or hip
Symptoms
Symptoms of a broken bone include:
A visibly out-of-place or misshapen limb or joint
Swelling, bruising, or bleeding
Intense pain
Numbness and tingling
Broken skin with bone protruding
Limited mobility or inability to move a limb or put weight on the leg's.
What Are the Treatments for a Bone Fracture?
A fracture often requires emergency treatment at a hospital. An example of a minor fracture that may not require emergency care is a fracture of the tip of a toe. If you think that bones may be broken in the back, neck, or hip, or if bone is exposed, do not move the person. Direct call to emergency services.
In other cases, you may call for assistance or transport the person to the emergency room. Before transporting the person, protect the injured area to avoid further damage. For broken arm or leg bones, put a splint (made of wood, plastic, metal, or another rigid material padded with gauze) against the area to prevent movement; loosely wrap the splint to the area using gauze. If there is bleeding, apply pressure to stop bleeding before splinting, then elevate the fracture.
Fractured bones must be set in their proper place and held there in order to heal properly. Setting a bone is called reduction. Repositioning bone without surgery is called closed reduction. Most fractures in children are treated with closed reduction. Serious fractures may require open reduction -- repositioning using surgery. In some cases, pins, plates, screws, rods, or glue are used to hold the fracture in place. Open fractures must also be cleaned thoroughly to avoid infection.
After setting, most fractures are immobilized with a cast, splint, or, occasionally, traction to reduce pain and help healing. In most cases, medication is limited to painkillers to reduce pain. In open fractures, antibiotics are given to prevent infection. Rehabilitation begins as soon as possible, even if the bone is in a cast. This promotes blood flow, healing, maintenance of muscle tone, and helps prevent blood clots and stiffness.
After the cast or splint is removed, the area around the fracture usually is stiff for several weeks with swelling and bumps. In children, increased hair on the arms and legs due to irritation of the hair follicles from the cast can occur. With fractured legs, there may be a limp. Symptoms generally disappear within a few weeks.
If you have broken a bone, once the cast or splint is removed you should gradually begin using the area again. It may take another 4 to 6 weeks for the bone to regain past strength. Ask your doctor what activity type and intensity is safe for you, based on your fracture and overall health. Exercising in a swimming pool is generally a good way to rehabilitate bones.
How Can I Prevent Bone Fractures?
To help prevent fractures, follow general safety precautions, including:
Always wear a seat belt when riding in a motor vehicle.
Always wear the proper safety equipment (helmets and other protective pads) for recreational activities, such as bike riding, snowboarding, or contact sports.
Keep walkways and stairs free of objects that could cause you to trip.
If you have osteoporosis, get regular exercise to improve your strength and balance, which may help reduce falls.
Discuss starting bone-building medications and supplements (like calcium and vitamin D) with your doctor.
When you’re on a ladder, avoid using the top step, and be sure you have someone holding the ladder.
Keywords
Osteoporosis
Spiral fracture
Stress fracture
Splint
Heal.
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