14 Facts about Fractures.

Fractures & Dislocation 1

It simply means a break in the bone.
Usually occurs due to injury to the bone, which may be due to trivial energy - like fall while walking or fall from the bed. It can also be due to Road Traffic Accident, Fall from height, Assault.
Usually, there is much pain, swelling, deformity of the affected bone, and loss of function like cannot walk if there is a lower limb fracture.
The first aid treatment in fractures till you reach the medical help will be temporary splinting, Local Icepacks.
Fractures can be closed where the soft tissue envelope is intact or open fracture where the soft tissue envelope is breached.
Apart from the bone, the trauma can injure tissues like muscles, nerves, skin, and vessels.
Injury to the Vessels is an Absolute Emergency. If not handled within 6-12 hours, the affected limb's amputation is the usual result.
Fracture of the long bones like the femur or Multiple fractures can cause a lot of blood loss, and the patient can go in for a shock.
If the injury to the spine is significant, then there is a high chance that the fractured fragments can press on the spinal cord or the nerves, then there can be paralysis of the affected limb.
Treatment of isolated, closed single bone fracture can vary from splinting, casting, or surgery depending on displacement.
Treatment of Open fractures, Polytrauma, Vessel Injuries requires a Multidisciplinary approach in an Institutional setting where the priority is to Optimise the patient, like treat the shock, operate the fractures in stages as the condition permits, rehabilitate the patient.
Surgery can be in the form of K wiring, Plating, Cabling, Interlocking Nailing.
General Guidelines when a Fracture occurs...
- a. If it is a small bone & it is a closed fracture, Can go to the clinic.
- b. If a large bone like the thigh or hip area, spine, open fracture, or injury has occurred due to high energy (RTA ), please rush the patient to an Institute.
Always better to get treatment from an Orthopaedic Surgeon. Getting Native treatments like splinting, massaging, coin treatment from quacks does more harm than good.