What Is a Fracture?, How To Treat a Fracture?

What is a fracture?

Each bone in the body may break. Most of the bones break in accidents, falls and during exercise. If the bone is broken into more pieces, the bone is shattered.

A fracture gives several complaints. Fractures always hurt, even with minor damage. Also, there occurs a swelling. The swelling is due to a hemorrhage in the fracture. You can move your arm or leg no longer normal.

The doctor can treat a fracture with:

1. plaster cast;
2. surgery;
3. traction.

A cast holds the broken bones as well as possible in place until they are sufficiently healed. In a traction to your arm or leg 'drawn' to keep the bones in the right place. This happens for example with weights.
When an operation of a bone fracture, the surgeon uses a plate, screws or pins to attach the pieces of bone as tightly as possible to each other.

There are also bone fractures that do not have to deal with the doctor, for example, a broken rib or collarbone. With rest and exercises these fractures heal itself.

Treatment for a fracture

A bone fracture can heal in different ways.

1. Without treatment.
2. Plaster treatment.
3. Operation.
4. Traction.

Whatever treatment you get depends on the following factors:

1. Which bone is broken?
2. What kind of rupture is?
3. Is the fracture in a joint?
4. Are there other tissue damage in the vicinity of the fracture?

The surgeon can tell you what is the best treatment for your situation.

Surgery of a fracture

In an operation of a fracture, the doctor makes the bones as strong as possible onto each other.
An operation has advantages over a plaster cast. You can begin immediately after surgery to exercise your leg or arm. Your muscles stay strong and joints flexible. Moreover, not decalcified bone.

In a surgery, the surgeon can use a variety of techniques.

1. A plate with screws on the fractured bone.
2. Screws into the broken bone.
3. Pins extend through the medullary cavity of the bone.
4. Pins in the bone that are outside the arms and legs are firmly connected to each other. The pins then come out through the skin.

Also, a broken-off piece of bone, the surgeon may replace it with a prosthesis.

Traction with a broken bone

Traction is a treatment of a broken bone. It is on your arm or leg 'drawn' to keep the bones in the right place. This happens for example with weights. Your leg can then lie on a special sled, sometimes with a plaster splint.
The doctor uses this method as a temporary treatment until conditions are good enough for a plaster cast or surgery.
When traction is needed, for instance?

1. The tissues around the fracture are still poorly perfused.
2. There is an infection.
3. There is still a foreign body (such as a piece of glass) at the break.

Delayed healing from a fracture

Normally heal a fracture within five to six weeks. Delayed healing means that healing takes longer. Occasionally the fracture will not heal completely.
Delayed healing can be caused by:

1. the severity of the fracture;
2. damage to the tissues around the bone;
3. blood flow. The cure is not as quick as the bones do not get enough blood;
4. the density of the bone. In osteoporosis, healing takes longer;
5. an infection;
6. bones that are not sturdy enough abut;
7. your health.

In a delayed healing, the physician can stimulate bone growth with sound waves. The sound waves coming from a small device. The waves stimulate the cells that make bone. Sometimes, this treatment prevents an operation.
This does not help, then a (new) need surgery, often with bone graft.

After a fracture sometimes a post-traumatic dystrophy.

Risks and complications after surgery for a fracture

An operation of a fracture has the same risks as any other surgery. The wound can bleed some, or there may be an infection. Other 'normal' risks of thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia and cystitis.

Through the operation, the tissue around the fracture extra damaged.