Fractures are serious physical trauma. Attached muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, and even nerves can be damaged or torn due to bone damage. An “open” fracture is accompanied by an open wound that is visible and can lead to infection. A "closed" fracture--when the bone breaks without visible skin injury and with less trauma than an open fracture--is a painful incident that takes time to heal. Within these two basic types of fracture, there are a number of other classification systems.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Identifying the Type of Fracture
Step 1. Look for open fractures
An open fracture is a broken bone that is clearly visible through the skin. Also known as a compound fracture, this type of fracture carries the threat of contamination and infection. Pay close attention to the area around the impact or suspected fracture. If you see bone protruding from the skin or if any bone is visible, you have an open fracture.
Step 2. Study closed fractures
A closed fracture, as the name suggests, occurs when the bone breaks but does not penetrate the skin. Closed fractures can be stable, transverse, oblique, or crushing.
- A stable fracture is a broken bone that is in proper alignment and slightly out of position. This is also referred to as an immobile fracture.
- An oblique fracture is a fracture that occurs at an angle relative to the parallel position of the bone.
- A crush fracture (also known as a split fracture) is a bone that breaks into three or more pieces.
- Transverse fractures are fractures that occur in several lines that are perpendicular to the parallel position of the bone.
Step 3. Identify the fracture at the site of the impacted bone
There are two types of fractures that meet these criteria and are difficult to distinguish. Impaction fractures (also known as buckled fractures or "impact fractures") usually occur at the ends of long bones when one part of the bone is pushed into another part of the bone. Compression fractures are similar to impaction fractures, but usually occur in the spine when the spongy bone breaks on its own.
Compression fractures will gradually heal naturally, although they should be monitored. Impaction fractures require surgery
Step 4. Recognize imperfect fractures
Incomplete fractures do not cause the bone to separate into two parts, but still show the typical symptoms of a fracture. There are several types of imperfect fractures:
- A flexure fracture is an incomplete transverse fracture, which is reported to be more common in children because the immature bone does not completely break into two parts under pressure.
- Fine fractures (also known as fissure fractures or compression fractures) may be difficult to identify on X-ray because very fine lines appear. These streaks can be seen several weeks after they occur.
- A depression fracture is a fracture that is compressed from the outside. When several fracture lines cross, the entire bone may be compressed.
- Incomplete fractures have almost the same symptoms as complete fractures. If an arm or leg is swollen, bruised, or sprained, the arm or leg may be broken. The arm or leg may be deformed, hanging at an odd or curved angle. If the pain is so excruciating that the limb cannot be used comfortably or support body weight, it is likely a fracture.
Step 5. Understand the different types of fractures
There are various classifications of fractures based on the specific location or form of the injury. Knowing the type of fracture can help you better understand, avoid, and treat fractures.
- A girth fracture occurs when an arm or leg is subjected to excessive sprain or stress due to the sprain causing the bone to fracture.
- Longitudinal fractures occur when a bone breaks along a vertical axis in a parallel path through the bone.
- An avulsion fracture is a fracture that occurs when a bony portion of the main bone in the area where the ligament attaches to the joint breaks. This can happen in a motor accident when a person tries to help the victim by pulling on his arm or leg so that it affects the shoulder or knee.
Part 2 of 3: Recognizing Symptoms
Step 1. Listen for a crackling sound
If you hear a crunching sound from your arm or leg when you fall or experience a sudden impact, you may have broken a bone. Depending on the pressure, severity, and position, the bone can crack (fracture) into two or more pieces. The sound you hear is actually the sound of bones or groups of bones receiving a sudden impact and breaking.
The crackling sound caused by broken bones is known in the technical literature as "crepitus"
Step 2. Feel a sudden, strong pain followed by numbness and tingling
There is also a burning pain (except in skull fractures) that changes in intensity right after the injury. Numbness or chills may occur if the area under the fracture does not receive adequate blood supply. Because muscles keep bones in place, you may also experience muscle spasms.
Step 3. Look for signs of pain, swelling, and bruising with or without bleeding
Swelling of the surrounding tissue occurs due to damaged blood vessels, causing blood to leak in the affected area. This then causes fluid to accumulate, causing swelling that causes pain to the touch.
- Blood in these tissues looks like bruising. The bruise will start out purple/blue, then turn green and yellow as the blood is reabsorbed. You may notice bruising some distance from the fractured area as blood from the damaged vessel flows through the body.
- External bleeding will only occur if the fracture is open and the broken bone is visible or protruding from the skin.
Step 4. Look for changes in the shape of the arm or leg
Injury can cause deformation depending on the severity of the fracture. For example, perhaps the wrist is bent at an unnatural angle. The arm or leg may appear unnaturally curved, i.e., there are no joints. In the case of a closed fracture, the structure of the bone has changed within the arm or leg. In the case of an open fracture, the bone protrudes outward at the area of the injury.
Step 5. Watch for signs of surprise
In the case of a large amount of blood loss (including internal bleeding), the blood pressure can drop drastically causing shock. People who experience a shock may have a pale face and become warm or flushed, but after that, the excessive dilation of the blood vessels can cause the skin to become clammy and cold. The patient becomes silent, confused, nauseous, and/or dizzy. At first, breathing becomes rapid, but slows to a dangerous level if the blood loss condition becomes severe.
It is normal for an individual to experience shock when the injury is bad. However, some people experience some symptoms of shock and don't think they are breaking a bone. If you experience a strong impact and even exhibit more than one symptom of shock, seek immediate medical attention
Step 6. Look for a series of descending or abnormal movements
If the broken bone is near a joint, you may have difficulty moving your arm or leg as usual. This is a sign of a broken bone. Movement of an arm or leg may be impossible without experiencing pain or you may not be able to place weight on the part of the body where the bone is broken.
Part 3 of 3: Getting a Diagnosis
Step 1. Visit a doctor immediately
During the examination, the doctor will ask questions about the origin of the injury. This information will help to identify potentially damaged parts.
- If you have had a fracture or broken bone before, tell your doctor.
- The doctor will check for other signs of a fracture such as a pulse, skin discoloration, temperature, bleeding, swelling, or sores. All of this will help to determine your condition and the best course of action.
Step 2. Perform an X-ray examination
This is the first action taken in the event of a suspected or detected bone fracture. X-rays can detect fractures and assist doctors in analyzing the extent of the injury.
Previously, you will be asked to remove jewelry or metal objects, according to the part to be examined. You may have to stand, sit, or lie down, and will be asked to remain still or even hold your breath during the examination
Step 3. Perform a bone scan
If an X-ray cannot detect a fracture, a bone scan may be used as an alternative. A bone scan is an imaging test such as a CT Scan or MRI. A few hours before the bone scan is performed, you will be injected with a small amount of radioactive material. Doctors can track radioactive material in the body to identify the location of the bone being repaired.
Step 4. Request a computer tomography scan (CT Scan)
A CT scan is the perfect examination to check for internal injuries or other physical trauma. Doctors perform this examination when faced with fractures of several complex parts. By combining several X-ray images into one computer-processed image, doctors can obtain several three-dimensional images of fractures with a CT scan.
Step 5. Consider getting a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination
An MRI is a test that uses radio waves, a magnetic field, and a computer to obtain detailed images of the body. In the case of a fracture, an MRI provides more information about the extent of the damage. It is useful for differentiating bone damage as well as cartilage and ligament damage.
