

You may also notice that the area has become swollen or bruised. Bone Fracture Treatment – When to Visit the Emergency Roomįractures are usually very painful and the pain may increase when you move or apply pressure to the break. Once a bone is weakened by disease, regular daily activities such as bending down, coughing, or even coming out of a vehicle can cause the bone to fracture. It is also known as an insufficiency fracture. Pathologic fractures are the result of bones weakening due to disease rather than an injury. Younger children tend to suffer this type of fracture because their bones are softer and more flexible than the bones of adults. Greenstick fracture is similar to what you might see when you try to break a small branch on a tree but the branch does not completely break off. They are seen more frequently in young children – usually 10 years or younger. Greenstick fractures occur when one side of the bone is broken while the other side is not. Regular broken bone treatment is usually inadequate. A strong force is required to cause this type of fracture and open surgery is needed to repair a comminuted fracture. If the bone is broken into several pieces or fragments, it is a comminuted fracture.
#Comminuted open fracture pictures skin
In a displaced fracture, the bone may pierce the skin as in an open or compound fracture or it may not, as in a closed fracture. In a displaced fracture, your bone breaks in many places and is displaced or misaligned as a result of the breakage. This is the opposite of non-displaced fracture. Displaced FractureĪ displaced fracture occurs when the pieces of the broken bone are no longer aligned. A non-displaced fracture is when your bone breaks in only one place and stays aligned or does not move to change the alignment. When your bone suffers a blunt force trauma, meaning when something hard forcefully hits your bone, it can break in many places. In a non-displaced fracture, the bone is broken but stays in alignment. This distinction between a closed fracture and an open fracture is important because when the bone is exposed (open fracture) it is important that it is treated immediately. When the bone is broken in two but has not pierced the skin, it is a closed fracture. An open fracture is usually considered a fracture emergency.Ī surgical operation is often required to clean the wound or area surrounding the fracture if it is an open fracture.

These fractures are caused by high energy injuries like those associated with sports, car crashes, falls, and more. Open fractures may have problems healing because they are open to the skin. Open fractures, also known as compound fractures, must be treated as soon as possible because of the high risk of bone infection. In some cases, the bone may then move back under the skin so that it is no longer visible. In an open fracture, the bone breaks through the skin and is exposed. Here are the different types of Fractures. They are categorized by how the bone is broken, whether the broken pieces have moved and whether the bone has broken through the skin. Just show up for any emergency care needs. No appointment at our emergency room is necessary. SignatureCare Emergency Center emergency rooms throughout Texas have state-of-the-art technology to take care of you and your family if you sustain fractures, and our emergency room is open 24 hours a day. SignatureCare Emergency Center will give you x-rays and check for fractures and broken bones. If you suspect you have a fracture, don’t wait to visit the emergency room. The severity of the fracture depends on several factors including its location and the amount of damage to the bone. Many people experience at least one fracture in their lifetime, but children and the elderly are more likely to suffer from fractures. It is usually caused by severe injury or trauma and needs immediate treatment by a board-certified emergency room physician.įractures occur when a bone is placed under too much stress or pressure.
