Bone Fracture: Types, Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Commonly caused due to broken or cracked bones, severe bone fractures happen to millions of people worldwide each year. Despite being treatable, bone fractures can be unbearably painful, and the injuries can take a lot of time to heal.

Bone fractures occur if there is a crack or break in the bone. They usually happen when your bone experiences a force more than it can withstand. Some of the most common sites for bone fracture include the hip, ankle, and wrist. Usually, bone fractures can be treated with a plaster cast, but if there is a severe case of bone fracture, your doctor may suggest surgical treatment. If you have a cast for your fracture, it will take a few weeks for you to heal, and in the case of surgery, the healing period can be a couple of months.

A bone fracture can change the shape of your bone. The fracture can happen across the bone or along its length. It can also split your bone into two or leave it severed in pieces too!

A bone fracture can be caused due to several reasons, such as:

1. Fractures usually happen when excessive force is applied to the bones, which causes them to crack, rupture, or break. The force is usually more than what the bone is capable of handling.
2. Overuse of a particular bone can also cause wear and tear of the bones if more pressure is applied. This type of fracture is called stress fracture, and it is most common in military recruits and athletes.
3. Some fractures are also caused because of certain health conditions that can weaken the bones, such as osteoporosis or cancer in the bones.
4. One of the major causes of bone fractures is injuries. Injuries caused by a direct hit or kick on the bones can lead to bone fractures.
5. Bones also get weak when they are twisted.

The severity of the symptoms of bone fractures can depend on the age and health of the person. However, some of the common symptoms in people with bone fractures include the following:

1. Pain in the affected area
2. Excessive swelling
3. Bruising which leads to making the affected area look bluish-black
4. Discolouration of the skin due to the wound
5. Inability to move the affected area
6. Bleeding if the wound is external as well
7. Inability to put weight and pressure on the injured area
8. A grating sensation in the affected bone or joint

If the pain is unbearable and more severe than usual, then you may also experience the following symptoms in certain cases:

1. Light-headedness or faintness
2. Fatigue
3. Nausea
4. Dizziness

1. Overuse of a particular body part can lead to fractures because the bones become tender.
2. Most commonly, bone fractures occur due to accidental reasons such as sudden injuries.
3. Age is another factor leading to bone weakening, which can cause bone fractures.
4. If you have had a fracture before, your chances of getting another one increase at the same site as before.
5. Diabetes also leads to low bone density, leading to severe bone damage in the future.
6. Arthritis is another health condition that can result in inflammation and pain in the bones and joints, leading to fractures.
7. Other health-related factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, etc., can also increase the risk of bone loss and damage in an individual in the long run.

A bone fracture can be of different types depending on the cause of the fracture and its affected area:

1. Avulsion Fracture: When a ligament or a muscle pulls on the bone resulting in fracturing of the bone.
2. Compression or Crush Fracture: This fracture occurs in the spongy part of the bone, especially the spine.
3. Hairline Fracture: In this kind of fracture, a partial part of the bone goes through wear and tear, which causes a fracture.
4. Comminuted Fracture: When a bone is shattered into multiple pieces
5. Dislocation Fracture: When one of the joints in the body or the bone from the joint gets dislocated
6. Impacted Fracture: Due to the fracture in one bone, another bone might get affected and, in turn, might get fractured due to the impact.
7. Greenstick Fracture: One part of the bone gets fractured but does not break. The other side of the bone is quite flexible and takes the impact causing partial bone damage.
8. Oblique Fracture: The damage occurs along the vertical axis of the bone in this fracture.
9. Intra-articular Fracture: When a fracture extends into the surface of a joint
10. Spiral Fracture: One part of the bone gets twisted and breaks, causing a fracture
11. Longitudinal Fracture: In this kind of fracture, the fracture extends to the length of the bone.
12. Pathological Fracture: In this kind of fracture, an underlying condition such as weakness in the bones causes the fracture.
13. Transverse Fracture: A straight break across the bone results in this fracture.
14. Stress Fracture: Fracture caused due to repetitive stress and strain on one particular bone in the body.
15. Open Fracture: There is an open wound in this fracture and the bone can be seen piercing through the skin.
16. Close Fracture: There is no open wound in this fracture.
17. Displaced Fracture: In this kind of fracture, the bone cracks and loses its position.
18. Non-Displaced Fracture: The bone does not lose its alignment or position and remains in place. It just cracks.

Bone fractures can cause a few complications, which have been listed below:

1. Bone fractures can cause severe blood loss. Bones have a rich blood supply, and a break or crack can make them lose a large amount of blood.
2. Due to a broken bone or cracked joint, surrounding organs can also get harmed because the broken pieces of the bone can pierce through the sensitive internal organs of the body. For example, Broken ribs can cause damage to the organs in the chest.
3. Permanent damage to the bone can also be caused if the joint is sensitive. It can cause permanent dislocation or change in the shape of the bone even if it is treated.
4. Sometimes, it may also happen that the bone heals in the wrong position or its placement changes because of the crack or break.
5. Breakage in the bone can also cause a deformity in the bone in the long run.
6. The breaking or cracking of the bone can also cause an infection in the bone marrow. Bacteria can enter the bone marrow or the bone through the break in the skin due to the wound.
7. One of the most severe cases that can happen is that the bone may lose its supply of blood and stop working permanently, leading to bone death.

With a few lifestyle changes, you can lower your chances of getting a severe bone fracture.

1. Follow a healthy diet rich in calcium and vitamin D. Calcium is extremely important for maintaining bone health. Vitamin D helps in better absorption of calcium by the body.
2. Having an active lifestyle is also important. You must keep yourself occupied with a workout to ensure that your body does not become inactive or sluggish. Weight lifting exercises help in increasing bone density and muscle strength and lower your chances of getting a fracture.
3. In women, post-menopause, their estrogen levels decrease substantially, impacting their bone density. They need to supplement their body with an additional dose of calcium to avoid bone fractures and other bone-related diseases.
4. Avoid overconsumption of alcohol and smoking.

It might not be possible for everyone to evaluate if their injury requires special attention. However, if you find the following signs in your injury, it is best to consult a doctor immediately to avoid further damage:

1. Redness
2. Excessive swelling
3. Inability to move, and
4. Discolouration or bruising at the affected site

To diagnose a broken bone, your doctor might suggest you take some tests for a proper understanding of the injury. Here are some diagnostic tests that you might have to undertake:

1. CT Scan: This test will help the doctor get a comprehensive view of the detailed slices and cross-sections of the bone.
2. X-Ray: In an x-ray, your doctor will be able to see the picture of the breakage of the bone.
3. MRI: MRI helps in seeing detailed images of the bones with the use of strong magnetic fields. They are usually suggested if there is a stress fracture involved.
4. Bone Scan: If a fracture does not show up on an x-ray, then your doctor may also check the injury with a bone scan to ensure if there is bone damage or not.

There are several ways to treat a bone fracture, and they have been explained below:

Cast & Braces

1. If the bone is capable of healing on its own, then the doctor may place the bones in position and apply a cast so that they can stay in place, and the cast can allow the bones enough time and positioning to heal on their own. Braces are also suggested by the doctor so that no pressure is applied to the affected area of the fracture in the leg. The same goes for sling support if the fracture is in the arm of the collarbone.

External Fixation and Surgery

1. If the bone fracture is quite severe and is not capable of being held and healed on its own, then the doctor may suggest surgery. During the surgery, the doctor may add an external plate or rod to the body to provide the support that the broken bone used to provide. This may hamper the movement of the body part permanently, and it may also change its shape a little. The rod or the plate might be made to put still with screws and pins.

Recovery from Bone Fracture

1. If you have a cast on your fracture, you might have to keep it for several weeks, depending on the severity of the fracture. The doctor might also suggest some painkillers to ease the pain. You might have movement restrictions and be given braces to ensure there is no pressure on the fracture.
2. If you have undergone surgery, then you might need to stay on bed rest for a while if the fracture is on your limb, and if it is on your upper body, then you might have to wear a cast or a sling to ensure there is no movement or pressure.

Fractures usually come as a surprise, so you might not be able to make an appointment beforehand. However, if you notice any symptoms, it is always advisable to visit a doctor, even if you don’t feel it would be a fracture. Your doctor might ask you to take some scans and tests to understand the situation and severity of the injury and then suggest treatment accordingly.

Ensure that you let your doctor know about your medical history, previous injuries (if any), and other health conditions or medications that you are into so that your treatment can be dictated accordingly. It is also advantageous to ask the doctor about the special care you need to take to avoid any more damage to the injury until your treatment is complete.