A bone fracture happens when a bone is under a certain amount of stress and becomes separated into two or more pieces. Sometimes a fracture may be referred to as a crack or break in the bone. Some bone fractures are apparent due to the deformity of the bone while some bone fractures are not noticeable and requires a more in depth look from a doctor. There are two types of fractures, open and closed. An open fracture occurs when there is a break in the skin. Usually this requires surgery since the bone is exposed to the outside and can become infected if not treated.
One of the most common bone fractures is the stress fracture. Stress fracture usually happens when there is repeated stress or trauma to the bone, usually in the leg area. The bone in the leg area, specifically in the tibia or shins, can become weakened over a certain amount of time when repeated force is put onto the bones. A stress fracture normally requires rest, ice and some type of anti-inflammatory medication and can take up to eight weeks to recover.
Some people may experience a rib fracture. Our ribs protect a lot of our organs, especially our lungs. When inhaling air, our ribs move outwards. When someone has a rib injury or a rib fracture, breathing becomes difficult as pain is present when trying to inhale completely. A rib fracture may prevent a person from taking in deep breaths due to the pain. It is very important for a person to take in deep breaths as if they don’t, pneumonia can set in. A rib fracture can take up to six weeks to heal and requires the same treatment as the stress fracture; ice on the injured area, rest and anti-inflammatory medication.
When trying to diagnose a fracture, the doctor may ask several questions pertaining to how, when and why the injury occurred to get a better understanding of how the bone may be fractured. The doctor may try to determine the reason for the break and decided if there are any other factors, such as a stroke, that may have occurred and that may need immediate attention. Usually a doctor will not take and X-ray if he can locate the fracture, but in some cases where it is not apparent where the break is, an X-ray may be done. Medication is usually the first thing a doctor will prescribe for the fracture pain and is usually an anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen.
When a fracture or break happens in young children, the doctor may place a cast on the broken area to prevent the child from doing any more damage to the injured area. Young children tend to heal more slowly and are more likely to damage the bone even further due to their active lifestyles. A splint is made out of fiberglass and plaster and is wrapped with gauze around the fractured area to help immobilize the fractured limb. After several days, the splint may be removed and replaced with a cast.
