The initial management of fractures consists of realignment of the broken limb segment (if grossly deformed) and then immobilizing the fractured extremity in a splint. The distal neurologic and vascular status must be clinically assessed and documented before and after realignment and splinting.
How Do I Know If I Have a Bone Fracture?
Doctors can usually recognize most fractures by examining the injury and taking X-rays.
Sometimes an X-ray will not show a fracture. This is especially common with some wrist fractures, hip fractures (especially in older people), and stress fractures. In these situations, your doctor may perform other tests, such as a computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or a bone scan.
In some cases, such as a possible wrist fracture with an initially normal X-ray, your doctor may apply a splint to immobilize the area and order a second X-ray 10 to 14 days later when healing can make the fracture visible.
Occasionally, even after the fracture diagnosis has been made, you may need other tests (such as a CT scan, MRI, or angiogram, a special X-ray of blood vessels) to determine whether other tissues around the bone have been damaged.
Fracture Types
Fracture, by definition, means break. However, there are different types of fractures that are commonly encountered.
Simple (closed) fracture- The bone is fractured, but there is no significant deformity of the bone, and it has not broken the skin. The majority of fractures you’ll encounter fall into this category.
Compound (open) fracture- The bone is fractured, with breaking/laceration of the skin. Bone may or may not show from the wound.
Transverse fracture- The fracture is across the bone, and at a right angle to its long axis.
Greenstick fracture- This type of fracture is named after the breaking of a green tree branch. One side of the bone is fractured, while the other side is only bent. These types of fractures occur commonly in children, as their bones aren’t as brittle as adults’.
Comminuted fracture- This is a fracture involving three or more bone fragments.
