Fractures or broken bones are common home injuries, sports injuries, and workplace injuries. They may involve the ankle, foot, hand, hip, knee, scaphoid (part of the carpal navicular, located in the palm), shoulder, or wrist. The word fracture is the clinical term for a break in a bone. Broken bones can range in severity from hairline fractures, which are small cracks in the bone, to compound fractures, where the broken bones puncture the skin.
The most common causes of bone fractures include:
The most common symptoms of fractures include:
Bones can fracture in any number of ways. Some common fracture types include:
A few common fracture types are shown here.
Broken bones can be easily identified in an x-ray of the injured area.
There are several treatment options available for bone fractures. The right treatment for you depends on the extent of your injury.
In most cases, fractures are treated with a cast, splint, or brace, which keeps the broken bones from moving while they heal. Casts don’t heal broken bones on their own, but rather they help the bones heal straight. Once bones are set, casts can be applied so that they don’t move. Even broken bones that don’t line up (called displaced) often will heal straight over time.
Cast Immobilization. This is the most common type of fracture treatment. Once the bones have been repositioned, plaster or fiberglass casts are used to keep the broken ends in proper position while they heal.
Functional Casts or Braces. Casts or braces allow limited or “controlled” movement of nearby joints.
Traction. Traction is usually used to align the bones by a gentle, steady pulling action.
Surgery. If broken bones don't heal properly with casting or splinting alone, surgery may be required. Surgery is recommended for compound fractures where the bone is sticking through the skin, and for fractures that involve joints, such as wrists and ankles.
This is an example of an external fixator applied to a broken femur (thigh bone).
Here an intramedullary nail provides strong fixation for a thighbone fracture.
The recovery period for bone fractures usually depends on the extent of the injury and how well you follow your doctor’s advice. Generally, it can take 6 to 12 weeks for a bone fracture to heal. Children heal faster than adults, so the recovery time for them tends to be shorter.
Once you have adjusted to your cast or splint, keeping it clean, dry, and intact becomes essential. It is important to care for your cast or splint properly to avoid complications and support effective healing.
After a cast or brace is removed, you may need to continue limiting your movement until the bone is solid enough for normal activity. Your doctor will advise you on the best course of action.
During your recovery period, you are likely to lose muscle strength in the injured area due to immobilization. Once the cast is removed, specific exercises may be recommended to help restore normal muscle strength, joint motion, and flexibility.
If you would like to schedule a consultation with one of our orthopedic surgeons at OrthoMed Center for fracture care, please call (209) 524-4438. You may also request an appointment online.
If you have a broken bone, you may hear or feel a snap or a grinding noise as the injury happens; there may be swelling, bruising, or tenderness around the injured area; or you may feel pain when you put weight on the injury, touch it, press it, or move it.
A cast is custom-made with fiberglass or plaster and wraps all the way around the injured area. A splint is also made from fiberglass or plaster, but it does not wrap all the way around the injured area. Instead, a splint is held in place with a flexible bandage, and can be easily removed or adjusted.
Stress fractures are usually very small slivers or cracks in the bone, and are sometimes referred to as hairline fractures. Stress fractures occur more frequently in weight-bearing bones, such as the tibia (bone of the lower leg), metatarsals and navicular bones (bones of the foot).
For hairline fractures, elevate the extremity and rest while the bone heals itself. You should also ice the affected area for 24 to 48 hours and reduce your activity. You can use NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin, to manage any pain you experience.
A bone fracture may fail to heal if a patient has certain risk factors such as diabetes, anemia, older age, and tobacco use. A bone that fails to heal is called a nonunion, and a bone that takes longer than normal to heal is called a delayed union.
A bone needs stability, ample blood supply, and adequate nutrition through a balanced diet to heal properly.
Typically, fractures linked to osteoporosis occur in the spine. These spinal fractures, called vertebral compression fractures, occur in nearly 700,000 patients each year. Other fractures linked to osteoporosis include fractured hips and wrists.
Osteoporosis does not affect the healing process of a fractured bone. If you have a fracture, it generally takes 6 to 12 weeks to heal.
To help prevent bone fractures, follow a proper diet that is rich in calcium and vitamin D to promote bone strength, and add weight-bearing exercises to help keep your bones strong.
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Modesto, CA 95355
Phone: (209) 524-4438
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