Understanding Fractures: Causes and Consequences

Fractures
A fracture is a break, usually in a bone. Fractures commonly happen because of car accidents, falls or sports injuries (Fractures: MedlinePlus). Stress fractures, which are very tiny cracks in the bone, can occur when there is an overuse of the bone which is common with athletes(Fractures: MedlinePlus). You may also be prone to broken bones if you have osteoporosis or another bone disease which causes weakening of the bones (Fractures: MedlinePlus).When I fractured my wrist I experienced the bruising, numbness, loss of movement in my right hand and pain in my wrist. The doctor examined my wrist and told me that I had a hairline fracture. He came to this conclusion after performing an X-ray on my wrist. I was given muscle relaxants

A closed or simple fracture is one in which the bone is broken, but no external wound exists (Skeletal System). An open or compound fracture involves a broken bone and an external wound that leads to the site of fracture, the bone commonly protrudes through the skin (Skeletal System).In open or compound fractures, any bleeding must be stopped before the fracture is treated (Skeletal System). A complicated fracture is one in which a broken bone has injured an internal organ, an example of this is a broken rib rupturing a lung (Skeletal System). In a comminuted fracture, the bone has broken or shattered into pieces. An impacted fracture occurs when the bone is broken and one end is wedged into the interior of another bone. An incomplete fracture occurs when the line of fracture does not completely transverse the entire bone. A greenstick fracture is when the broken bone does not extend through the entire thickness of the bone (Skeletal

If the fracture is minor then all they will do is splint or cast the hand to keep it immobilized (Broken wrist/hand). If the broken ends of the bone aren't aligned properly doctors will need to direct the pieces back into their correct position a process called fracture reduction(Broken wrist/hand). Depending on the amount of pain and swelling you have, you may need a muscle relaxant, a sedative or even a general anesthetic before this procedure(Broken wrist/hand). If an immobilization isn't an option, you may need surgery to place plates, rods or screws, or bone grafts to maintain proper position of your bones during healing(Broken wrist/hand). External Fixation is another treatment where pins or wires are set into the bone through the skin above and below the fracture which are connected to a ring or a bar outside the skin that holds the pins in place and after the bones have healed, the pins are removed (Fractures: MedlinePlus). Fractured bones usually need between 4-6 weeks to heal although a cast may be removed before that to prevent stiffness particularly for fractures involving the elbow or hand(Fractures: MedlinePlus). Some people undergo therapy after the cast or splint is removed (Broken Wrist/broken Hand).Rehabilitation such as exercises or physical therapy would be performed to reduce stiffness and restore movement back into the bone. This therapy may take up to several months or even longer for complete