You need quick treatment when bone fractures, dislocations, and other bone injuries happen. Otherwise, you prolong the healing process, worsen your pain and possibly wind up with disability.
Here’s what to do when you suspect any damage to your bones.
Recognizing Bone Injuries
To take proper action for bone injuries, you must recognize the problem.
There are three main types of fractures. Repetitive motions and trauma can cause bones to break in a single place (simple fracture) or multiple locations (comminuted fracture). When the break is bad enough, it may even push through the skin (open fracture).
Whichever type you have, the National Library of Medicine lists the following symptoms of broken bones:
- Bruising, tenderness or swelling at the site of injury
- Deformity caused by the bone being out of place
- Difficulty moving the injured limb
- Pain, which is typically intense
Dislocation occurs when two bones within a joint fail to connect. Symptoms mimic those of a broken bone and include:
- Bones visibly out of place or abnormally shaped
- Pain at the injury site, especially when using the damaged bones and joints
- Reduced range of motion
- Swelling and bruising at the site of injury
Protecting Injured Bones
If you have symptoms of a broken or dislocated bone, first aid can reduce your risk for complications.
Immediately after dislocating or breaking a bone, do the following:
- Chill. Apply an ice pack or ice wrapped in a towel to the injured area. This helps manage pain and swelling.
- Clean. To prevent infection, remove dirt from broken skin with clean water. Then, cover the area with a clean bandage.
- Stabilize. Do your best to keep the injured bone still. Place a makeshift splint or sling to reduce movement and prevent further injury .
When caring for someone with a bone injury, avoid the following:
- Feeding the injured person
- Moving the injured person before the bone is stabilized
- Scrubbing or blowing on or around the open wound
- Straightening or moving a misshapen, injured bone
Seek Medical Attention
When bone injuries break into your life, you need emergency care. Call 911 or ask someone to drive you to the emergency room or orthopedic clinic.
There, an expert in bone injuries will ask about your injury and symptoms. Imaging exams, such as X-rays, give an inside look at your bone health.
Options to treat bone fractures include:
- Casting or splinting. Your orthopedic surgeon creates a hard cast or splint to immobilize your injured body part. You then wear the splint or cast until your bone heals completely.
- Open reduction and internal or external fixation. An orthopedic surgeon repairs the damaged bone, returning it to its previous position. With internal fixation, the surgeon uses screws, metal rods and other fasteners to keep the bone in place. External fixation relies on a frame outside of the body. It remains in place as the bone heals.
Dislocation treatment includes:
- Realignment. A health provider moves dislocated bones back into their proper positions. You may wear a splint afterward to keep the injured bones in place while healing occurs.
- Surgery. Severe dislocations may require orthopedic surgery. Surgery aims to put the dislocated bones back in place and reduce pain.
Suspect you’ve broken or dislocated a bone? Get expert care at the Bone & Joint South Ortho Walk-in Clinic and Sports Medicine Clinic at Union Health, located at 4601 South 7th Street in Terre Haute.