Broken Bones

 

Bones are very tough. But even tough stuff can break. If the pressure is too much, or too sudden, bones can snap. You can break a bone by falling off a skateboard or crashing down from the monkey bars.

When a bone breaks it is called a fracture. There is more than one way to break or fracture a bone. A break can be anything from a hairline fracture to the bone that is snapped in two pieces like a broken tree branch.

 

Description/Types of fractures

• A complete fracture is when the bone has broken into two pieces.
• A greenstick fracture is when the bone cracks on one side only, not all the way through.
• A single fracture is when the bone is broken in one place.
• A comminuted fracture is when the bone is broken into more than two pieces or crushed.
• A bowing fracture, which only happens in kids, is when the bone bends but does not break, and;
• An open fracture is when the bone is sticking through the skin.
  
  
  

Patient With A Broken Bone

Breaking a bone is a big shock to your whole body. It is normal for you to receive strong messages from parts of your body that are not anywhere close to the fracture. You may feel dizzy, woozy, or chilly from the shock. A lot of people cry for a while. Some people pass out until their bodies have time to adjust to all the signals they are getting. And other people do not feel any pain right away because of the shock of the injury.

The worst thing for a broken bone is to move it. This will hurt the person and it can make the injury worse. In the case of a broken arm or leg, a grown-up may be able to cushion or support the surrounding area with towels or pillows.

 

A very, very important tip

If you are not sure what bone is broken or you think the neck or back is broken, do not try to move the injured person. Wait until a trained medical professional has arrived.

 

Treatment

To treat the broken bone, the doctor needs to know which kind of fracture it is. That is where X-rays come in handy. X-rays give the doctor a map of the fracture so that he or she can set the bones back in their normal position.

With breaks in larger bones or when a bone breaks in more than two pieces, the doctor may need to put in a metal pin - or pins - to help set it. For this operation, you will get some medicine so you'll be asleep and unable to feel any pain. When your bone has healed, the doctor will remove the pin or pins.

After your bone has been set, the next step is usually putting on a cast, the special bandage that will keep the bone in place for the one to two months it will take for the break to mend. Casts are made of bandages soaked in plaster, which harden to a tough shell.

 

Healing Of A Broken Bones

Your bones are natural healers. At the location of the fracture, your bones will produce lots of new cells and tiny blood vessels that rebuild the bone. These cells cover both ends of the broken part of the bone and close up the break until it is as good as new.

 

Once The Cast Comes Off

Once the cast is off, the injured area will probably look and feel pretty weird. The body part that was in a cast might look strange at first. The skin might be pale, dry, or flaky. Body hair might look darker and the body part itself might look smaller because you might have lost some muscle while it was healing.

This things are all temporary. In some cases, your doctor might suggest you do special exercises to improve your strength and flexibility.

 

Preventive Measures

Accidents happen, but you often can prevent injuries by wearing safety helmets, pads, and the right protective gear for your activity or sport. It is also a smart idea to do what you can to build strong bones.

 

Things You Need To Do

• Get a lot of physical activity, such as, jumping and running.
• Feed your bones the Calcium and Vitamin D they need to stay strong. That means getting your share of milk and other calcium-rich foods and drinks, such as broccoli and calcium-fortified orange juice.

  
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