Fractures - Types And Treatment Options

Bone fractures are injuries that come through impacts that exert force on the bone and make it snap. The amount of fracture and the kind of fracture likely to be incurred are influenced by certain factors, such as force and the strength of the bone. Before administering management, it is fundamental to understand the different classifications of fractures and the approach to their treatment.

Types of Fractures

• Closed (Simple) Fracture: 

A closed fracture is a condition where an individual’s bone fractures but without the skin being compromised by penetration of the broken fragment. Such a fracture is less likely to develop an infection as compared to an open fracture.

• Open (Compound) Fracture: 

An open fracture is a break in which fragments of the skin, flesh, or muscle are torn by the broken bone or when a wound is inflicted near the broken area. This type is extremely dangerous and has a higher likelihood of infection, and thus the patient needs urgent intervention from the doctor.

• Displaced Fracture: 

Displaced fracture occurs where the bone breaks into two or more pieces and these pieces move away from each other. This may need refixation where the bone fragments have shifted back into the wrong position after the initial surgery.

• Non-displaced Fracture: 

A non-displaced fracture is one in which the broken pieces of the bone stay in their correct positions even though they are damaged partly or wholly.

• Comminuted Fracture: 

This type happens when the bone breaks into three or more fragments commonly as a result of falls, automobile accidents, or direct heavy blows.

• Transverse Fracture: 

It has a horizontal fracture line or line across the bone and is often due to a direct impact by a force in a right-angle direction.

• Oblique Fracture: 

An oblique fracture has an angled pattern across the metaphyseal and diaphyseal sections of the bone and is usually brought on by bending-torsion forces.

• Spiral Fracture: 

Often caused by a twisting force, spiral fractures are typical of sports injuries and suggest severe injury.

• Greenstick Fracture: 

Usually seen in children, it involves a bending and partial shattering of the cortex, like how a green twig would snap without breaking.

• Stress Fracture: 

A stress fracture is an overuse injury in which a bone is damaged by repeated stress or strain, often in athletes.

• Compression Fracture: 

Common in the spine secondary to osteoporosis, this type of fracture features the compression of a vertebra.

• Avulsion Fracture: 

In this type, the muscle or ligament tugs the bone and results in the breakage at the contact points only.

Symptoms of Fractures

Common symptoms associated with fractures include:

• Severe discomfort as felt at or around the area that has been damaged.
• Swelling and tenderness
• Bruising
• Deformity (the limb may appear to be located in an abnormal position)
• Pain when placing weight on the affected area

Treatment Options

The treatment for fractures varies based on their type and severity.

• Cast Immobilization: Popular for mostly minor fractures, a cast simply settles the two parts of the broken bone in the right position. It can be constructed from plaster or fiberglass.
• Functional Cast or Brace: Enables slight mobility of other adjacent joints; it also offers support to the fractured area.
• Traction: This type of technique is used in extending the bones, and although it involves pulling, it is not considered to be a final solution.
• External Fixation: These are metal pins or screws, which are fixes in which metal pins or screws are inserted above and below the fracture and connected to an external frame to realign and stabilize the fractured bones until they knit.
• Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (ORIF): A common surgical technique in the process is the fixing of broken bones back to their definite positions by the use of plates, screws, or rods.
• Rehabilitation: Sometimes, when the entire area is healed, additional therapy in the form of physical therapy may be required to get the strength back in the region.

Conclusion

Disabilities that can be caused by fracture can negatively influence a person’s functionality and lifestyle. Knowing the kind of fracture and their treatments is very important to enhance the recovery process. In case you feel that you have a fracture, it is advisable that you go to Dr. Rajesh Malhotra, who is one of the best Joint Replacement Doctor in Delhi, for further treatment to avoid issues associated with the wrong healing or infection.