Fractures are simply a break in a bone. They can be caused due to injury, (traumatic fractures) or a pre-existing condition like osteoporosis that causes weakening of bones (pathologic fractures). There are many ways to classify fractures. All fractures fall into the major categories of simple and compound fractures. Simple fractures are fractures where bones remain inside the skin and don t jut out. They are also called closed fractures.

Compound fractures, also called open fractures, are broken bones that penetrate through the skin. These types expose the bone and deep tissues to the environment. Compound fractures are more serious of the two. The healing here may be affected due to deep infections for which antibiotics need to be used. There are many different sub types of fractures and we re only going to skim through them here.

Comminuted fractures: Severe fractures in which a bone breaks into several smaller pieces.
Avulsion fractures: A small piece of bone is completely torn off from the main bone due to fierce pulling off a part of the body.
Other types of fractures are characterised by the many different angles the bone breaks into like transverse, oblique and spiral fractures.

Diagnosis
When a bone is broken there are symptoms like swelling that doesn t subside on its own and pain. In such a case it s imperative that one goes to a doctor for a diagnosis. Doctors can usually recognise most fractures by examining the injury and taking an X-ray. The X-ray also provides a clear idea about the type of fracture and the degree of displacement of the bone. And, it s important that the patient doesn t wait too long before approaching a doctor. This is because bones begin to heal very quickly after a fracture and the bone tissue will heal using any tissue available. This can lead to a misalignment of broken pieces of bone and cause disability and loss of function.

There are cases when X-ray may not show a fracture. This is especially common in fractures in the hip and wrist in older people. For diagnosing these, doctors will get some other tests done such as a computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or a bone scan.

Treatments
Fractures have to be treated by doctors. The doctors set the fractured bones in their proper place and hold them there so that they can heal. Setting a bone is called "reduction." Reduction without surgery is called "closed reduction." But if the fracture is serious, it s going to require surgery with bone repositioning, called open reduction.

In extreme cases, pins, plates, screws, rods, or glue are used to hold the fractured bones in place, inside the body. Once the bone abutment has been treated, the bone is immobilised to allow the broken pieces to heal. In most cases, the fractured part is set in a rigid cast. The fractured ends of the bone can be fixed into place using metal pins connected to an external frame. This is removed after the bone has healed.

Fractures - How To Diagnose Them?

Breaking a bone is, needless to say, a painful experience. But, when people have their broken bone put in a cast, they tend to forget about it until it comes out. This is quite wrong! A person would want to be up and running but does not find that the hand or the leg as it has been cast up. For weeks, the person's hand or leg barely moves and also shrinks up quite a lot!

There is a lot of pain, not only due to shrinkage when a fracture occurs. The occurrence itself causes what is known as acute pain. Then, for some weeks, the sub-acute pain just seems to persist, to the person having the fracture. The reason for this is the fact that the bone and the soft tissue are in the process of healing.

Chronic pain is a worry as it does not go away even after the healing process has ended. In order to make sure that there is a quick recovery and there is no chronic pain which is experienced at all, some of the proverbial leaves need to be taken out of the book of physiotherapy.

To start with, sometime between a fortnight and a month after the injury or the bone break has taken place, the doctor will wish to see some movement in the soft tissue that has broken around the bone. The great advantage of this is that while it may be a little bit of effort and time involved, there are great benefits by the way of less pain and swelling as the blood flows as normally as is possible.

If such movements are not done, a person can have related soreness, which can be even more of a pain! An example of this would be a broken foot or ankle causing the stiffness of the knee. When a person is already in pain, adding to his or her trouble makes no sense at all, does it?

Post one month mark, the physiotherapist would want to see more functioning so that the normal levels can be attained. A person who has a fracture should not despair as if he or she is willing to stick to the schedule given by the physiotherapist and perform all the exercises that have been set out, he or she will be back at the normal level much sooner than would have been expected!

Also, getting active again will reduce the risk of a repeat injury, and that is enough justification to do so!

What To Expect When Recovering From Broken Bones?

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

Breaking a bone can be counted among one of the most painful experiences that one can possibly suffer from. Inflicted usually by external injuries, fractured bones generally require surgeries for recuperation. In the occasion of minor fractures however, plasters often facilitate recovery. Although these are the primary treatments that are meted out, recovering from fractured bones entail much more. For some, the time to restore normalcy takes longer than others. In such cases, one tends to opt for palliatives to ease out the pain.

Homeopathic medicines not only offer respite to the pain but also provide a holistic cure for the emotional anxiety one goes through in such times. Many therefore seek out homeopathic remedies for treating bone fractures. Some of the most effective antidotes in this regard have been enlisted below.

1. Arnica: Arnica is extremely helpful at curbing swelling and as a consequence, reducing pain. Prolonged use of Arnica can potentially minimize the swelling to absolute normalcy.
2. Hypericum: This soothes the fracture induced pains, especially when the fractures affect the nerves. This is a beneficial remedy for fractures in fingers, toes and the spinal regions.
3. Bryonia: Bryonia is known to bring relief in cases of the jarring pain that surfaces post trauma. Sometimes, even the slightest movement in the affected area can lead to a lot of distress. This is an ideal cure for such cases.
4. Calcarea Phosphorica: This speeds up the healing process following a bone fracture. Consumption of Calcarea Phosphorica accords a calming effect on the moods of the patient and helps to deal better with the pain, anxiety and irritability in the due course.
5. Eupatorium Perfoliatum: This helps in mitigating deep wounds and the consequent aches. The healing powers of Eupatorium Perfoliatum are extremely pervasive and results in quicker recovery.
6. Ruta Graveolens: This re-nourishes the damaged body fibers and soothes the bruised areas. It is also known to reduce restlessness.
7. Symphytum: It is extremely helpful in the rejoining of bones. It enables the body to heal faster and effectively cures joint pains.

5 Best Homeopathic Medicine for Bone Fracture Treatment

Spinal fractures occur as a result of an injury or dislocation of the bony vertebra. This causes the bone fragments to pinch and damage the spinal cord. Fractures can occur anywhere along the spine but the most common site of fracture is the lower back.

What causes spinal fractures?

Spinal fractures are often a result of the following-

  A sudden traumatic injury
  A high-velocity accident
  Falling from a height
  Sports injuries
  Spinal instability
  A whiplash

Types of spinal fractures:

Spinal fractures are classified into three categories, such as the following-

  Compression fracture - If you exert excessive pressure on the vertebra, it will break. This type of fracture occurs when the bones in the spine become fragile or weak to the extent that they easily crumble. People living with osteoporosis, certain types of cancer or tumours are prone to a compression fracture.

  Dislocation - When the discs and/or ligaments linking the vertebrae is torn or stretched, the bones may dislocate or come out of alignment.

  Fracture-dislocation - Torn ligament and broken bone lead to this condition. A fracture-dislocation is a debilitating condition and often requires surgical intervention.

Symptoms of spine fractures:

Following an accident or an injury, you can tell if you have ended up fracturing your spinal column by identifying these symptoms-

  Excruciating pain
  Tingling sensation
  Numbness
  Muscle spasm
  Swelling of the muscle
  Sudden onset of back pain
  Restricted spinal mobility
  The pain worsens if you walk or stand for long
  Deformity or disability of the spine

How are spinal fractures treated?

Spinal fracture treatment begins with administering pain-management drugs and medications to ease the symptoms, and stabilization methods to prevent injury. Depending on the nature of the fracture, your doctor may follow these lines of treatment-

  Fusion and instrumentation - These are surgical procedures to cure unstable fractures. Fusion refers to the joining of the vertebrae using a bone graft along with hardware such as hooks, rods, plates, or pedicle screws. The bone graft joins the vertebrae below and above to form a solid piece of bone.

  Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty - These are minimally invasive procedures, wherein the surgeon injects bone cement into the fractured body through a needle. During kyphoplasty, the surgeon first inserts and inflates a balloon to expand the compressed vertebrae and then fills it with bone cement.

Spinal fractures are an extremely uncomfortable and painful condition to live with. It can hinder your day-to-day activities and affect your quality of life. It is imperative that you seek immediate treatment if you end up with fractures or dislocation of the spine.

Spine Fracture - How Can You Get It Fixed?

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