Fractures

A fractured bone has a crack or break in it. The most common cause of bone fractures is an impact or stress with considerable force. But those who have osteoporosis or bone cancer might only have a minor fracture.

A pathological fracture is one that happens as a result of a medical condition that weakens the bones.

What is a bone fracture?

A complete or partial break in the continuity of bone tissue is known as a bone fracture. Any bone in the body is susceptible to fractures.

Several different mechanisms can cause a bone to fracture. For instance, a closed fracture is a bone break that does not cause skin or surrounding tissue injury.

A complex fracture, on the other hand, enters the skin and affects the surrounding tissue. Due to the possibility of infection, compound fractures are typically more dangerous than simple fractures.

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 among athletes.
• Transverse fracture: This is a straight break across the bone.

However, those who have a bone fracture frequently go through the following:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Skin that is discoloured around the afflicted area
• The afflicted portion protruding at an odd angle
• Not being able to bear weight on the damaged area
• Being unable to move the injured area
• A grating sensation in the bone or joint that is injured
• If the fracture is open, there is bleeding.

Causes

Healthy bones are quite tough and can resist unexpectedly strong impacts. However, if you apply enough pressure, they might fracture.

The main causes of bone fractures include physical trauma, excessive use, and illnesses like osteoporosis that weaken the bones. The chance of suffering a fracture might also be raised by other variables.

As a person ages, their bones normally become weaker and are more prone to fracture. A disorder that weakens the bones is more likely to develop as a person gets older.

Identification and treatment

A doctor will ask the patient about the events leading up to their fracture. After that, a physical examination will be conducted to get a diagnosis.

To completely evaluate the fracture, they frequently prescribe an X-ray and, in some situations, an MRI or CT scan.

Bone healing is a natural process that usually takes place without any intervention. As a result, the goal of treatment is usually to ensure that the broken bone has the greatest possible conditions for healing and that it will operate at its best going forward.

For the natural healing process to begin, a doctor will reduce the fracture. This involves lining up the ends of the broken bones. In smaller fractures, a doctor can do this by manipulating the affected area externally. However, in some instances, this may require surgery.

Once a medical professional has aligned the fracture, they will ensure it stays in place. Methods of doing so include:

• casts or braces
• metal plates and screws
• intramedullary nails, or rods, placed in bone cavities
• external fixings

Fractures can take several weeks to several months to heal, depending on their severity. The duration is contingent on which bone has become affected and whether there are any complications, such as a blood supply problem or an infection.

Other factors that can affect bone healing include:

• smoking
• excessive alcohol consumption
• a high body mass index
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use
• a person’s age

Physical treatment may be required to regain the damaged area’s muscular strength and mobility once the bone has healed.

There is a chance of arthritis or persistent stiffness if the fracture happens close to or through a joint. A person might not be able to bend that joint as well as before the injury if this occurs.

Complications

With the right care, bone fractures normally mend successfully, although there might be consequences, such as:

Bone heals improperly: During the healing process, the bones may move or a fracture may heal improperly.

Bone growth disruption: The normal growth of a child’s fractured bone may be hampered if the healing process is interrupted.

Bacteria can enter through a crack in the skin in a complex fracture and infect the bone or bone marrow. This infection has the potential to persist.

Avascular necrosis, often known as bone death, occurs when a bone loses its vital blood supply.

Prevention

Numerous treatments and lifestyle modifications can lower a person’s risk of bone fractures.

Diet can influence a person’s risk of fractures. The body need enough calcium to maintain strong bones. Calcium-rich foods include milk, cheese, yoghurt, and dark-green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin D is also necessary for the body to absorb calcium. Eggs, oily salmon, and sun exposure are all excellent sources of vitamin D.

Weight-bearing exercise can assist increase bone density and muscular mass. These two can lessen the chance of bone fractures.

Regular exercise and a healthy diet can lower the risk of fracture in adults with osteoporosis, according to research.

Additionally, oestrogen levels, which are important for bone health, significantly decrease following menopause. This increases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures and makes calcium management more challenging.

Therefore, during and after menopause, people should pay extra attention to the density and strength of their bones.