Bone Fractures: Everything You Need To Know

Bone fractures literally mean broken bones and they can mainly be attributed to injury, cancer or congenital bone related defects. The bone may crack or break into two or more pieces.It is also dependent on whether the fracture involves the skin and surrounding muscles. There are many different kinds of fractures, as it depends on the region of the body, the age and the overall health of a person. The one thing you could however remember is that bone health deteriorates with age, so you are more susceptible to broken bones down the line.

Common Bone Fracture Types

Bones are not dead or completely brittle, and are flexible enough most of the time. But, they can still break due to some reasons. Some common types are as follows:

• Transverse fracture- The bone break happens in a horizontal manner.
• Oblique fracture – The crack is more diagonal here.
• Open or compounded – When the bone breaks and protrudes from the skin on the outside.
• Stable – bone gets cracked or breaks along the same line as the bone itself, so it is the easiest type to deal with.
• Comminuted- Bone breaks in 3 or more spots, making it a more complicated affair.

The other types include compression fractures, avulsion, greenstick,hairline, spiral, pathological or stress fractures respectively, among others.

Symptoms of Bone Fractures

The symptoms are common for them all:

• Severe pain and swelling which gets worse with movement.
• Skin gets discoloured in the affected area.
• Bleeding is also present if the bone has torn open the skin surface.
• If the pain gets too bad, then the person may faint too.

Bone Fracture Treatment Options

Treatment includes different ways to ensure that the bone fragments stay in place and can heal soon. So, braces or casts may be used for simpler cases. Surgical intervention is recommended when it is severe. This involves the use of rods, screws or metal plates depending on the region and severity of the break.

How Long do Bone Fractures Take to Heal?

Broken bones in a cast or after treatment can take 4-8 weeks to heal, though this time may be longer for older folks. Physiotherapy is recommended afterwards, as there can be significant loss in muscle mass or stiffness.

Conclusion

Not all broken bones will heal perfectly, even when you rest and provide all the right conditions for it to happen. So, a major way to deal with fractures is to ensure you take preventive measures- like being careful when exercising or climbing stairs, wearing the right kind of footwear, eating good food that is rich in calcium, vitamins and minerals and also concentrating on improving muscle health and density. The risks of bone fractures increase with age and hormonal changes too, so talk to your doctor about therapy.