Types of Fracture You Need to Know

I am going to tell you about the types of bone fractures. There are several types of these injuries but all of them can be broken down into four main categories:

1-Displaced fractures-> The broken bone snapped into two or more breaks.

2-Non-Displaced fracture->The bone cracks but maintain its proper alignment.

3-Open fractures->These are prone to infections from being exposed to the air that could be filled with air and bacteria. They may also experience some serious complications as the edge of the broken bones break through the skin.                  

4-Closed fracture->The bone breaks but there is no puncture or wound in the skin.

Another type of fractured bone is called Greenstick or Buckle. This is an incomplete fracture that leaves bones bent, but not broken. However, bones are driven into each other, usually arm bones. In any type of injury, the pain can be extreme. For any patient, this type of pain is unacceptable.

There are several other types of fractures and they are classified in various ways. Historically they are named after the doctor who first described the conditions of the broken or cracked bones. However, there are more systematic classifications in place currently. These classifications are important as they help identify just what specific treatment the patient needs. This is why proper diagnosis of the injury is also important as this can lead to the identification and location of the fractured bone.

If you break a bone, it is important that you consult with your doctor right away before the injury gets worse.  

Types of Bone Fracture

Today I am going to share to you information about the types of bone fracture and their treatment. Here are some of the more common types of fractured bones:

(a)Simple fracture

(b)Stress fracture

(c)Comminuted fracture

(d)Impacted fracture

(e)Compound fracture

(f)Complete fracture

(g)Incomplete fracture

The doctor should first determine the type of the injury then he starts treatment according to the injury. So now we will discuss about fractures in short details as follows:

(i)In the case of a simple fracture, the bone breaks into two pieces and the area of the second part does not work properly.

(ii)In the Stress fracture, there is a hairline break that is often invisible on the x-ray for the first six weeks after the onset of pain.

(iii)In the Comminuted fracture, the bone breaks into several pieces.

(iv)One fragment of bone is embedded into another fragment of bone in the Impacted fracture.

(v) In Compound fracture the bone protrudes through the skin. It is also called an open type of fractured bone.

(vi)Bone snaps completely into two or more pieces in complete fracture.

(vii)Bone cracks but doesn't separate in an incomplete fracture.

The first treatment is the immobilization of the fractured area using a cast or splint. It is very important in the time of recovery from the injury.

The second step is the setting of bone through surgery. When surgery is needed, the procedure is called an open reduction. The doctor will give you local or general anesthesia. General anesthesia will put you to sleep. During the surgical procedure, the doctor may insert a rod, pin, plate, or screw into the injury to hold the bone in place. 

 Surgery can be advantageous in some ways such as early mobility of injured bone and some use of the injured bone within weeks rather than month. However, it is only recommended when nothing else can be done about the injury.

Guide to Bone Fracture

"BONE FRACTURE" refers to a broken bone. However, it is a very painful injury. To heal it, it could take weeks or months. The severity of fractured bones increases with age. Children's bones are more flexible and less likely to break. Falls or other accidents that do not harm children can cause complete fractures in older adults. Older adults suffer from fractured bones more than children because their bones are more likely to be brittle.

The most common symptoms of fractured bones are swelling around the injured area, loss of function in the injured area, bruising around the fractured area, or deformity of a limb. These are common signs that you should watch out for to detect broken bones early on.

The natural process of healing a fracture starts when the injured bone and the surrounding tissues bleed, forming a hematoma. The blood coagulates to form a blood clot situated between the broken fragments. Within a few days, blood vessels grow into the jelly-like matrix of the blood clot. The new blood vessels bring phagocytes to the area, which gradually remove the non-viable material. The blood vessels also bring fibroblasts in the walls of the vessels and these can multiply and produce collagen fibers. In this way the blood clot is replaced by a matrix of collagen. Collagen's rubbery consistency allows bone fragments to move only a small amount unless severe or persistent force is applied.

The seriousness of the fracture depends on the age of the individual and location of the fractured bone. Some fractured bones only require temporary protection (crutches, splint). More serious fractured injuries may require surgery.

Things to Learn About Fracture

When your loved one got into an accident, this could lead to fractured bones. Some fractures are only minor while others can land them in the emergency room for a quick surgery.

But first, the doctor write lets the patient undergo an X-ray to understand which part of the body is fractured. In the medical term if you wanted to say, the fracture is a broken bone. It is very common, and every person will probably have one or two fracture incidents over his lifetime.

But the problem comes when the age of the person reaches forty and above due to weak bones. At this time, the bones of a person are going to weaken slowly. And the water of the bones dries up. Luckily, in children the breaks are simple compared to an adult. As we age, our bones become more brittle, so the older we are, the greater the risk of having fractured bones. In old age, our recovery is not as easy and it happens slower. When we were younger, there is still risk that we might break something though the recovery might happen faster.

One of the injuries is the Jones fracture is a break of bones that occurs in-between the mid shaft portion of the bone and the posterior or base of the metatarsal. This type of injury happens only because of inversion or rolling in of the ankle. In this injury, a small piece of bone breaks off due to the pull of a ligament or tendon.

Fractured bones are classified in various ways. Historically they are named after the doctor who first described the fracture conditions. However, there are more systematic classifications in place currently. These classifications are important in determining the right treatment for the injury.

Use of Exogen for Fracture Healing

 Exogen is an ultrasound machine. It was made by Smith and Nephew. It is a machine which accelerates the fracture healing process. The ultrasound treatment is needed for 20 minutes each day at the injury site. This treatment can stimulate your bone and heal the fracture at a faster speed.

It has proven to be helpful in the non-union fractures that will not heal.

- The freshly broken bone is healed 38% faster with the use of Exogen than the other methods used for fracture healing.

- In case of non –unions, the healing speed is 86%.

- It takes 20 minutes of your time daily.

With the use of the Exogen machine, you direct the ultrasound waves at the fractured bones just for 20 minutes. You have to repeat the process daily. The Exogen Kit contains a foot strap, ultrasound machine, two bottles of ultrasound coupling gel, and a booklet of instructions. Exogen is a wonderful machine for many fractured patients. This new healing system can be used by the patient at home. The technology used in Exogen system is already proven to be very successful and works with all types of broken bones.

It helps to speed up the healing process, which may be delayed by the intake of alcohol and smoking. It also helps patients suffering from systemic diseases like obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis.

These risk factors can be lower in the healing process of a broken bone when Exogen is used. Exogen ultrasound accelerates the speed up to 50% even among the patients who smoke. It is a revolutionary machine in treating fractured bones.

Things that Can Affect Fracture Healing

There are various factors that affect the fracture healing process. These factors are separated into two categories - local variables and systematic variables. Both of them affect the rate and the degree of the healing of the broken bones. When the fracture healing process takes more time than usual, it is called as delayed union. If the bones do not join, it is termed as non-union of the bones. Certain factors are responsible for these problems, including the following:

1. Systemic factors

*Age - Age is a major factor in the healing process of any broken bone. It is faster in children than in adults. The bones of a baby are made of cartilages also they have ability to repair and heal at a faster rate.

*Nutrition - Sufficient amount of nutrients are essential for the healing of broken bones. Nutrients like carbohydrates and proteins are required in adequate quantity. Vitamin C helps calcium to absorb calcium from blood.

*Systemic diseases-A person having diabetes will likely experience delay in healing.

*Hormones - Hormones such as calcitonin and thyroid also play a vital role during the treatment of fractures.

2. Local variables.

*Type of bone - Different bones take different duration of time to heal.

*Degree of trauma - If the injury is severe and it has damaged the surrounding tissues it will take more time to heal.

*Vascular injury - Due to vascular injury, blood supply is affected, which may result in delayed healing.

*Degree of immobilization - Immobilized fractured parts heal faster. If the fractured bone keeps moving, this may cause further injury.

The healing of fractures is influenced by multiple variables.

Signs of a Broken Bone

Bones, as we know them, are not rigid in nature. They undergo various physiological processes of repair and regeneration. They play a very important part in the proper functioning of our body. Bones together form a human skeleton. An adult human skeleton contains 206 bones but a new born baby has 300 bones. These eventually tend to form 206 bones as they grow up. The bones of babies are probably made up of smaller and softer parts. Over the time they turn into harder and bigger bones. This process is called ossification. But before the bones harden up, babies can have a fracture very easily. So care must be taken while lifting a small baby. Although they have soft bones, there are still a lot of risks of having fractured bones.

To determine a fracture in a small baby is a bit difficult. It could be a sprain also. If your baby gets injured, the best thing is to put icepack around the injury.

You will notice a swelling, but that will reduce by ice pack application. If the injury is worse and your baby is crying with pain, you must go to the doctor for medical help.

Here are some sign of broken bone which will help you in the assessment of fracture in a baby:

1. A snapping sound is heard if the bone breaks.

2. The injured area becomes tender.

3. The fractured part becomes shallow.

4. Severe pain with inflammation.

5. The pain increases with any movement.

6. Bleeding of bones and tissues.

7. Deformed shape of the limb.

8. The child will refuse to stand or walk

If you see any of the above symptoms of a fracture, see a doctor as soon as possible.