Bone Fractures: Causes and Symptoms

'Fracture' is a medical term for a broken bone. According to an estimate, an average person has two fractures within their lifetime. When a force exerted is stronger than the bone itself, it can lead to a fracture. The risk and chance of fracture depend on your age. With age, bones tend to become brittle and, hence, a fall that would have been potentially harmless years ago can lead to a broken bone at a later age.

There are many types of bone fractures, but the main types are:

Closed fracture: A fracture in which the bone breaks but does not tear through the skin

Open fracture: Where the broken bone punctures through the skin and protrudes out. There's a greater chance of bone infection in an open fracture

Displaced fracture: In this type of fracture the bone snaps into more than two parts

Nondisplaced fracture: The bone cracks partly or wholly but it does continue to move

Some of the common signs and symptoms of a fracture are:

- Bruising and swelling of the bones
- Open fractures marked by protruding bones from the skin
- Loss of locomotive and functional ability of the injured area
- Deformity of the injured area
- Pain in the event of movement of the injured area

A fracture can be caused by a number of reasons, and they are:

- Injuries and accidents
- Falls and slips
- Wear and tear through overuse
- Sport injuries
- Fist fights and brawls
- Osteoporosis (a disease which causes bones to weaken in adults)
- Osteomalacia ( a disease caused due to softening of your bones, which is caused by a vitamin D deficiency.) Soft bones are more likely to bow and fracture than are harder, healthy bones.

Note:

Osteomalacia is not the same as osteoporosis. Osteomalacia occurs due to a defect in the bone-building process while osteoporosis develops due to a weakening of existing bones.



Bone Fractures: Causes and Symptoms

A bone may break due to several reasons starting from a fall or an injury or a condition like osteoporosis that makes the bones brittle and leaves them susceptible to fractures. The fracture usually takes a few weeks to get fixed as the broken bones grow back together with the help of various forms of treatment including a plaster and sling applied by the orthopaedic specialist or general physician. Find out more about how bones heal with this article.

Types of fracture: Before we get to the subject of how bones heal, it is important to understand the various kinds of fractures recognised by doctors. The first kind is the complete fracture where the bone breaks into two distinct parts. The next kind is the greenstick fracture or hairline fracture where there is simply a crack on one side of the bone due to pressure. Further, there is the single fracture which occurs where there is breakage of the bone only in one place. A bowing fracture may occur when the bones bend instead of breaking completely. This kind of fracture is pretty common for children. The comminuted fracture happens when the bone is crushed or broken in many places. And finally, the open fracture is one where the bone ends up protruding from the skin.

Treatment: Once you have broken a bone, the doctor will conduct an X ray which will help in understanding the type of fracture and the extent of the damage caused. The doctor will then apply a cast and plaster that will help in bringing the bone back to its normal position so that it grows back with the main bone. In case the bone has broken into various parts or there is a complete fracture, then the doctor may even insert metal pins.

Natural healers: Bones are known as natural healers that can heal with the process of new cells and vessel production which rebuilds the bone by covering the broken ends and closing the gap caused due to the damage or the crack.
Clot: Once a bone has broken, a blood clot or a callus forms in the surrounding region, which kind of acts towards sealing the area.
Threads: Once these clots have formed, the new threads of the bone cells begin to grow slowly from the ends of the broken bones. This will grow on both sides of the affected and fractured bones, almost as if drawing a line from one broken end to another.
Absorption: Finally, the callus will be absorbed by the new cell and the gap will close.
See a doctor is you are experiencing any noticeable symptoms that may point towards bone fractures.

Broken Bones - How Do They Heal?

A broken wrist is known as a wrist fracture and it may occur due to a variety of causes starting from undue pressure on the wrist which can result in an injury as well as debilitating conditions like arthritis, which makes the bones and joints prone to fractures. There are also non displaced breaks, which are stable kinds of fractures and in which, the wrist remains in its place. Let us find out more about the kinds of fractures and the procedures for treatment of the same.

Type of Fracture: The wrist is basically made up of eight small bones that connect the two long arm bones, which are known as the radius and ulna and create the forearm. The broken wrist can take place in any of these bones. A hand surgeon will generally take a look at this kind of fracture and determine whether it is displaced, stable or open. As discussed earlier, a wrist fracture can be of various types. While a non displaced wrist fracture is a more stable kind that does not really require much more than rest or medication, a displaced wrist fracture is a non stable kind where dislocation happens.

Other Factors: There are a variety of other factors that will be taken into consideration in order to repair this kind of a fracture. To begin with, the Orthopaedic specialist will consider your age and the kind of job, hobbies and other kinds of activities that you indulge in. Also, the doctor will try to ascertain whether or not you are in good health on an overall basis. The presence of other injuries will also be taken into account for this kind of an injury in there has been a bike or car accident that has caused the fracture.

Treatment: The method of treatment will vary as per the considerations listed above. A padded splint may be installed in order to align and support the bones and wrist respectively, so that there is ample relief from the acute pain as well. Further, an unstable fracture will require a cast as to support the entire forearm and give proper rest to the region so that the bone can grow back together and get aligned again. Surgery may also be required for very severe cases, and pins, screws, metals and plates may also be used depending on the exact location and type of fracture.

Recovery: Remember to move your fingers as much as you can so as to prevent them from getting stiff while they are held up in a splint or a cast.
Hand therapy will be helpful in gaining back motion and function of the wrist.

Wrist Fracture Procedure - Facts You Should Know About 

A bone fracture occurs when a strong external force is applied on the bones causing it to break. It is an extremely painful condition that results in days of immobility and rest. There are several reasons which can result in bone fracture, some of them being:

1. Injuries caused in sports
Any sport requires and demands extreme physical exertion and participation. Being involved in any sport therefore automatically increases your risk of incurring injuries. Bone fractures therefore are mostly reported during sports.

2. Osteoporosis
Due to the deficiency of calcium, the bones of both men and women tend to get weak and more susceptible to fracture and breakage. It is one of the primary causes that lead to bone fracture.

3. Osteomalacia
This also refers to a condition wherein the bones become weak and brittle. Much like osteoporosis, osteomalacia too significantly contributes to instances of bone fractures.

4. Osteosarcoma
This is a rare form of bone cancer that most often develops either near the femur or near the shinbone. An instance of this form of bone cancer is most often found in children and weakens the bone, consequently leading to fractures.

Though there may be different causes of broken fractures, its symptoms remain similar. Some of them are-

1. Swelling
One of the most common symptoms of bone fracture is perceptible swelling. If any of your bone is fractured, that particular part will be visibly swollen.

2. Deformity
Bones give your body the shape it has, thereby, any fracture anywhere would inevitably manifest itself as a clear deformity of that particular part.

3. Extreme pain
It goes without saying that a bone fracture would entail excruciating and extreme pain. This pain sharply increases with mobility thereby necessitating complete rest.

4. Temporary loss of function
The part of the body where the bone is broken temporarily becomes dysfunctional. For instance, if the bone in your hand is broken, you will find it extremely difficult to move and do any work with it.

Causes and Symptoms of Bone Fracture


A fracture separates a single solid object into two or more pieces due to pressure. In medical terms, a fracture refers to a broken bone due to some kind of external trauma. A crack in the bone, on the other hand, it does not cause a clean break in the bone, there is only a separation or discontinuity in the bone material.

A crack in the bone caused due to repeated stress is often called as 'hairline fracture'. Here are the basic differences between a crack and a fracture in the bone and how to treat them:

1. A crack or hairline fracture is rarely caused by a single injury. It is usually the result of bone fatigue, which may be caused due to repeated, concentrated stress over a long period of time and thus, it is also called as 'stress fracture'. Other bone fractures are almost always the result of sudden and severe force on the bones.

2. The skeletal system constantly remodels itself. The cells, known as 'osteoblasts' absorb calcium and secrete bone connective tissue. If a particular site is exposed to recurrent bouts of force (which are individually not impactful enough to cause a crack), over time the osteoblasts in that region malfunction and the crack appears.

Muscular exhaustion can also cause cracks in the bone. Fractures are caused due to sudden external single force trauma to the bone. Nutritional problems like deficiencies of Calcium, Phosphorus, vitamin D and excessive smoking decrease the bone mineral density and increase the chance of both cracks and fractures.

3. Symptoms of a crack are swelling, tenderness and sharp pain in the injured region and the symptoms worsen over time. A fracture has similar symptoms and might also exhibit an external physical distortion and makes it impossible to move that part of the body that where the bone is broken.

4. An MRI is often suggested for detecting the crack or crack-prone areas because an X-ray can only detect the crack after it widens somewhat or the bone starts paining because the rays cannot pass through the tiny gap in bone material. A fracture is easily detectable by an X-ray because the rays pass right through the break.

5. Complete rest for six to eight weeks is the most effective way of healing a crack. Using a walking boot in case of cracks in the leg bones in also helpful. Healing fractures require extensive medical intervention. Surgical techniques like bone grafting and the insertion of metal plates are used to reposition the broken bone.

Cracks VS Fractures

A broken nose is any crack or fracture in the bony portion of the nose. This is usually a result of external trauma.


Nasal fractures are often cited as the most common type of facial fracture, accounting for approximately half of all facial fractures in several studies.


Broken Nose Causes:


Common sources of trauma include the following:


Sports injuries
Personal fights
Motor vehicle accidents
Falls
In children, nasal fractures are most commonly due to falls.




Broken Nose Symptoms:


Tenderness when touching the nose
Swelling of the nose or face
Bruised nose
Bruising under the eyes (black eye)
Deformity of the nose (crooked nose)
Nosebleed
Pain and difficulty breathing out of the nostrils 


Broken Nose - 7 Signs You are Suffering from it

Don't wait any longer, manage your Orthopedic Surgery online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Orthopedic Surgery - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES