How to tell a broken bone from a hole in the snow

Winter is definitely here, with snow and ice in the morning, followed by sun and puddles in the afternoon. This can often cause a fall. Falling forward is a very common injury from many outside activities -- including skiing, snowboarding or running on icy trails -- and usually results in nothing more than a bruise or a bump.

Most commonly, falls mean a fracture of the wrist or hand, but sometimes the force of the blow can be transferred up the arm to the elbow. In this case, there could be a fracture or dislocation of the bones of the elbow, and the radial head is often where this occurs.

There are two bones in the forearm that connect to one in the upper arm. The humerus is the bone that goes from the shoulder to the elbow. At the elbow, it widens out so that it can connect to the bones of the forearm (the radius and the ulna). The construction of the forearm is complex in that it must allow rotation of the forearm so the wrist can go from facing down to facing up while still providing stability. This is achieved by having each bone swap functions at each end of the forearm. In the elbow, the radius is the bone that rotates. In the wrist, the ulna is the one that allows rotation. It is a pretty neat construct.

If there are excess loads to the forearm or wrist, these stresses can literally be sent up the arm to the elbow. This can result in so much force on the elbow and the forearm bones that something has to give. What gives depends upon many things, but one of the most important is that age of the person.

Young children tend to dislocate the elbow or fracture the end of the humerus or upper arm bone. Older people tend to fracture the wrist since they tend to have less calcium and weaker bones. Between the ages of 30 and 40, more commonly in women, the part of the radius bone that connects with the elbow is where the fracture occurs.

If you are unlucky enough to have an injury like this, here are some of the signs that you should look for:

Pain in and around the elbow, especially on the outside of the elbow.

Swelling around the elbow, especially on the outside.

Pain with bending or straightening the elbow.

Pain with trying to turn the forearm, such as with turning the palm up and down.

Pain in the elbow, especially on the outside, when gripping.

If any of these symptoms are present, you should get the arm in a sling or a splint to protect it and get it checked out. In most cases, the diagnosis is made from a routine X-ray, and we can classify the break as either a type I, II or III fracture depending on the severity.

If the initial X-rays are negative and the pain and especially loss of motion persist, you might need an MRI. This will allow proper treatment and hopefully a rapid return to full activity.

Paul Collins, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine at Orthopedic Health Care in Boise, Idaho. Collins is an avid participant in many outdoor activities.

Source: http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/dec/20/the-elbow-fractures-connected-to-the/

Terry - Eboue deserved red

John Terry has revealed he was 'convinced' he had broken a bone in his foot in the challenge he feels should have brought a red card for Emmanuel Eboue.

The Chelsea captain suffered the injury during the first half of his side's 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday and it was initially thought nothing was broken.

Blues boss Avram Grant believed the defender may have hurt ligaments before a further X-ray showed up a broken metatarsal.

Terry expects to be out for up to six weeks and he was unhappy with the tackle by Eboue, which brought a yellow card for the Ivory Coast international.

Studs in

"I've broken the third metatarsal in my foot and reckon I'll be out four to six weeks," wrote Terry in his programme notes for Chelsea's Carling Cup quarter-final tie with Liverpool.

"Tackles have to be made in this game, and especially in a top-of-the-table clash like Sunday's at Arsenal, and I had to make the tackle on Eboue. I felt he left his studs in there and it should have been a sending-off.

"I thought straight away I'd broken something. That's how it felt. Even when the X-ray didn't show up anything on the day, I was convinced there was a break.

"So now I just get on with working hard to get fit again, come back as soon as possible once more and make more tackles."

Source: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_2992388,00.html

Speeding Up The Healing Process

Healing a broken bone takes time, and many patients don't want to be patient! Healing a broken bone is a process related to factors including patient age, overall health, nutrition, blood flow to the bone, and treatment.

1. Stop Smoking:
Some of these recommendations may be controversial, or unknown the extent to which they affect bone healing. However, this much is clear. Patients who smoke, have a much longer average time to healing, and a much higher risk of developing a nonunion (non-healing of the bone). Smoking alters the blood flow to bone, and it is that blood flow that delivers the necessary nutrients and cells to allow the bone to heal.

2. Eat a Balanced Diet:
Healing of bone requires more nutrients that the body needs to simply maintain bone health. Patients with injuries should eat a balanced diet, and ensure adequate nutritional intake of all food groups.

3. Watch Your Calcium:
Patients with broken bones tend to focus on this one, and I place it below balanced diet, because the focus should be on all nutrients. It's true that calcium is needed to heal bones, but taking excessive doses of calcium will not help you heal faster.

Ensure you are consuming the recommended dose of calcium, and if not, try to consume more natural calcium -- or consider a supplement. Taking mega-doses of calcium does not help a bone heal faster.

4. Adhere to Your Treatment Plan:
Your doctor will recommend a treatment, and you should adhere to this. Your doctor may recommend treatments including cast, surgery, crutches, or others. Altering the treatment ahead of scedule may delay your recovery. By removing a cast or walking on a broken bone before your doctor allows, you may be delaying your healing time.

5. Ask Your Doctor:
There are some fractures that may have treatment alternatives. For example, "Jones" fractures of the foot are a conroversial treatment area. Studies have shown these fractures usually heal with immobilization in a cast and crutches. However, many doctors will offer surgery for these fractures because patients tend to heal much faster.

Surgery creates potential risks, so these options much be weighed carefully. However, there may be options which alter the time it takes for a bone to heal.

6. Augmenting Fracture Healing:
Most often, external devices are not too helpful in accelerating fracture healing. The following devices have not been shown to accelerate the healing of most fractures. However, in difficult situations, these may be helpful to aid in healing of broken bones:

* Electrical Stimulation
* Ultrasound Treatment
* Magnets

Full article: http://orthopedics.about.com/od/castsfracturetreatments/ht/quickly.htm

Doctors: Now The Riskiest Time Of Year For Broken Bones

INDIANAPOLIS -- Saturday's wintry storm could bring snow or freezing rain. But no matter what falls on central Indiana, emergency room doctors are bracing for a storm of a different kind.

"If we have an ice storm or significant amount of sleet, emergency departments around this city are going to be filled with people with broken bones," said Dr. Louis Profeta, of St. Vincent Hospital.

Profecta told Staying Healthy reporter Stacia Matthews that most of the patients treated for fractures and falls on ice are the elderly. And the majority of these accidents are close to patients’ homes.

"Many falls happen simply when people are out walking to get their mail in the morning or going for the newspaper,” said Dr. Jim Niven, of St. Vincent Hospital.

Stephanie McDermott landed in the hospital two years ago after a fall. During an interview with 6News that winter, McDermott recalled she was no match for ice on her driveway.

"I looked down and I couldn't move my leg. My ankle was twisted 45 degrees. My foot was hanging off and I had a large bulge in my shin,” McDermott said.

McDermott lived to tell about her accident, but some patients don’t.

"Everybody nowadays is on Plavix and aspirin and blood thinners. A simple fall or the bump of the head sometimes can have catastrophic events and consequences,” Niven said.

That's why Niven and Profecta teamed up to create the “Emergency Room Advice, Safety and Education Project,” or ERase.

The emergency room physicians partnered with the city of Indianapolis, Brightpoint and Starbucks Coffee to bag salt to limit and prevent the number of emergency room visits related to falls on ice during the winter season.

"If we can prevent one, then we've done our job," Profecta said.

Volunteers will stuff rock salt into about 5,000 bags Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. in the St. Vincent ambulance bay.

The bags will be offered free to the public. Doctors encourage people to pick up several bags -- one to sprinkle on steps, walkways and driveways; one to keep in a vehicle in the event of an emergency; and one to give to an elderly neighbor.

ERase is celebrating its 10th anniversary. To date, the group has distributed more than 100,000 tons of rock salt.

Source: http://www.theindychannel.com/health/14858274/detail.html