A bone fracture in a layman term means a crack in the bone.
Causes of Fractures include:
-accident, fall, injury commonly because of car accidents, falls, or sports injuries, osteoporosis, infection of the bones (osteomyelitis) which cause weakening of the bones.
A hairline fracture is caused by repeated stress over time. Stress fractures or hairline fractures are the result of accumulated trauma
Fracture symptoms are:
- Intense pain or excruciating pain at the fracture site is the most common symptom of fractures.
- A deformity in the limb area
- Swelling, bruising, or tenderness around the injury
- Numbness and tingling
- Problems moving a limb
First Line Management in treating fractures:
Put a cold pack at the site of the fracture and immobilize the limb with a splint.
Carry out an x-ray for diagnosing a fracture
Consult an orthopaedic doctor towards the treatment of a fracture. You may be advised a cast or splint for some duration of time and then physiotherapy. Surgery maybe advised with screws, plates, pins or wires to keep the bone in place.
Let’s look at types of fractures:
There are many types of fractures, but the main categories are complete, incomplete, compound and simple.
- Complete and incomplete fractures
- A compound fracture, also called an open fracture, where the bone breaks through the skin.
- Simple fractures like hairline fractures
- Greenstick fracture: an incomplete fracture in which the bone is bent. This type of fracture occurs most often in children.
- Transverse fracture or Oblique fracture
- Impacted fracture is one whose ends are driven into each other.
- Pathological fracture, caused by a disease that weakens the bones; and a stress fracture, which is a hairline crack.
Various methods are there for treating fractures:
Cast Immobilization
where a plaster or fiberglass cast is the most common type of fracture treatment.
Functional Cast or Brace
The cast or brace allows limited or “controlled” movement of nearby joints.
Traction
Traction is usually used to align a bone or bones by a gentle, steady pulling action.
External Fixation
In this type of surgery, metal pins or screws are placed into the broken bone above and below the fracture site.
Open Reduction and Internal Fixation
During this surgery, 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.
After treatment of fracture:
Limiting your movement until the bone is solid enough for normal activity.
Specific exercises will be recommended to you restore normal muscle strength, joint motion, and flexibility.
Wockhardt Hospitals, a chain of tertiary care super-specialty hospitals has more than 25 years of experience in the creation and management of Super Specialty Hospitals in India.
Wockhardt Hospitals, a chain of tertiary care super-specialty hospitals, has more than 25 years of experience in the creation and management of Super Specialty Hospitals in India.
We are a premiere hospital in the country specializing in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. We provide comprehensive orthopaedic care to our patients. The bone and joint program at Wockhardt Hospitals makes it a centre for excellence in orthopaedics with highly skilled clinical expertise. For further information or any orthopaedic related query visit our experts at Wockhardt Hospital.
Wockhardt Hospitals is regarded as a centre of excellence the healthcare domain, having facilities in North Mumbai (Mira road), South Mumbai (Mumbai Central), Navi Mumbai (Vashi), Nagpur, Nasik, Rajkot and Surat. Wockhardt Hospitals has state-of-the-art infrastructure. Our prime objective is patient safety and quality of care at all levels. The guiding philosophy is to serve and enrich the Quality of Life of patients and to make life win.
