14 Facts about Fractures.

• 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.