Fractures can be very serious for older people – how can they be averted? It is well established that older people who have a fracture are significantly more likely to die within a year. A fragility fracture sends the risk of premature death skyrocketing, rising by around 50% in both men and women.
Fractures of the head or body such as skull, ribs and pelvis are all serious and should be managed by paramedics. If you suspect a bone fracture, you should: Keep the person still – do not move them unless there is an immediate danger, especially if you suspect fracture of the skull, spine, ribs, pelvis or upper leg.
Mortality associated with fractures is usually related to associated injuries to other critical organs, such as the brain, lung, and liver. If not properly treated, open fractures can lead to non-lethal, long-term complications such as bone infection and problems with proper bone healing.
Complications of an Untreated Fracture
Bone deformity. Permanent nerve damage. Muscle and ligament damage. Extended pain and swelling.
Hip fractures are among the most studied and common fractures. Proximal femur fractures had the highest mortality rate among all fracture locations; 25% at 1 year with a corresponding SMR of 2.7, which is in accordance with previous studies (Vestergaard et al.
Pulmonary embolism is the most common severe complication of serious fractures of the hip or pelvis. It occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein, breaks off (becoming an embolus), travels to a lung, and blocks an artery there. As a result, the body may not get enough oxygen.
Some people assume that fractured bones are more serious than broken bones, while others assume it's the other way around. But the truth is that these terms are used interchangeably, and they have the same meaning to medical professionals.
Understanding Bone Fractures -- Symptoms
Deformity of an arm or leg. Pain in the injured area that gets worse when the area is moved or pressure is applied. An inability to bear weight on the affected foot, ankle, or leg. Loss of function in the injured area.
If you break a bone, you might need surgery to repair it. Some people only need a splint, cast, brace or sling for their bone to heal. How long it takes to recover fully depends on which of your bones are fractured, where the fracture is and what caused it.
If the fracture is not treated within four weeks, the patient will need a surgical correction. If left untreated entirely, the injury can become necrotic.
Most fractures are accompanied by intense pain when the initial injury occurs. It may become worse when you move or touch the injured area. In some cases, you may even pass out from the pain. You may also feel dizzy or chilled from shock.
As risk factors, age and gender are the biggest drivers of fractures. Women are far more likely to have a fracture than men, in fact, one in two women over the age of 50 will have a fracture in her lifetime.
Comminuted fracture
This type of fracture requires a lot of force, which causes your bone to break into several pieces. A comminuted fracture typically brings very intense pain.
The Femur is often put at the top of the most painful bones to break. Your Femur is the longest and strongest bone in your body, running from your hip to your knee. Given its importance, it's not surprising that breaking this bone is an incredibly painful experience, especially with the constant weight being put on it.
Fractures are treated in different ways and while some can be treated in a cast, brace, or splint, others require surgery to repair the fracture with plates, screws, nails or pins.
A fracture is a broken bone. It requires medical attention. If the broken bone is the result of major trauma or injury, call 911 or your local emergency number.
Acute pain usually occurs immediately after the fracture when the bone has broken. Sub-acute pain usually occurs the first few weeks after the fracture while the bone and soft tissue heal. Chronic pain is pain that continues long after the fracture and soft tissues have finished healing.
Not all fractures requires surgery. In fact, whenever possible, non-surgical treatment is preferrable. Orthopaedic Trauma & Fracture Care specialists will make this decision based on the extent of the injury, the patient's overall health, and how well the fracture can be expected to heal without surgery.
Typically you can walk on a broken foot, however, doing so will aggravate the situation. It's best to give your foot a rest, and keep weight off it, so that bones can take the time they need to heal. It is always best to get an injury like a fracture checked out to ensure proper treatment.
A traumatic fracture occurs when significant or extreme force is applied to a bone. Examples include broken bones caused by impacts from a fall or car accident, and those caused by forceful overextension, such as a twisting injury that may cause an ankle fracture. Traumatic fractures may be nondisplaced or displaced.
Delayed Union. When a bone fracture is untreated, it can result in either a nonunion or a delayed union. In the former case, the bone doesn't heal at all, which means that it will remain broken. As a result, swelling, tenderness, and pain will continue to worsen over time.
The simple answer is that fracture is the medical term for a broken bone. So, a fracture and a break are essentially the same things.