Detailed Information on Fractures

A fracture is commonly referred to as a broken bone. The bones of the shape of the human body, or skeleton, which supports and protects the soft parts of the body. The bones are living tissue. They are growing fast at one's early years, and renew themselves when they are broken.

Bones have a center called the marrow, which is softer than the outer part of the bone. Bone marrow cells that had developed in red blood cells which carry oxygen to all parts of the body and the white blood cells that help fight disease. Bones also contain minerals calcium and phosphorus. If the broken bone punctures the skin, it is called an open fracture. Fractures occur frequently due to car accidents, falls and sports injuries. Another issue is osteoporosis, which causes a weakening of the bones.

Fracture of the bone may also occur due to certain health problems that weaken the bones, such as osteoporosis, certain types of cancer or steogenesis imperfecta.

First aid for fractures includes stabilizing the break with a splint in order to prevent movement of the injured part. Apply ice packs to limit swelling and help relieve pain until emergency personnel arrive. Don't apply ice directly to the skin — wrap the ice in a towel, piece of cloth or some other material. Apply pressure to the wound with a sterile bandage, a clean cloth or a clean piece of clothing. Don't try to realign the bone. Surgical methods of treating fractures have their own risks and benefits. A plaster or fiberglass cast is the most common type of fracture treatment, because most broken bones can heal successfully once they have been repositioned. Traction is usually used to align a bone or bones by a gentle, steady pulling action. Proper diet and exercise.

Fractures Treatment Tips

1. Don't try to realign the bone.

2. Apply pressure to the wound with a sterile bandage.

3. Proper diet and exercise may help in preventing some fractures.

4. Traction is usually used to align a bone or bones by a gentle, steady pulling action.

5. Apply ice packs to limit swelling and help relieve pain until emergency personnel arrive.

6. A plaster or fiberglass cast is the most common type of fracture treatment.

7. Don't apply ice directly to the skin wrap the ice in a towel, piece of cloth or some other material.

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Levels of Testosterone Linked to Broken Bones in Older Men

(January 14, 2008 - Insidermedicine) Having low blood levels of the male hormone testosterone could be a risk factor for fractures in men over 60, according to research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Here are some facts about osteoporosis and fracture risk in men:

• Osteoporosis is a condition that develops with aging and the use of certain drugs in which bone mass is lost, leading to more fragile bones and an increased risk of fractures.

• While most commonly associated with women, as many as one-third of fractures related to osteoporosis occur in men.

• Men who have had a previous osteoporosis-related fracture have three to four times the risk of having another fracture as women of the same age with a fracture.

Researchers out of the University of Sydney assessed the bone mineral density (BMD) and lifestyle factors of over 600 men whose average age was nearly 73 years. They observed these men for up to 16 years, keeping track of their blood levels of testosterone and any bone fractures that occurred.

Low blood levels of testosterone were found to be linked with an increased risk for fracture in these men. After accounting for other factors known to affect the risk of fracture, including age, weight, BMD, fracture history, smoking status, and calcium intake, low testosterone remained an important risk factor.

Based on these findings, the authors conclude that low testosterone levels are a risk factor for fracture in men over 60. They suggest that physicians could use measures of blood levels of testosterone to help determine fracture risk in their male patients over 60.

Source: http://www.insidermedicine.ca/archives/Levels_of_Testosterone_Linked_to_Broken_Bones_in_Older_Men_2070.aspx

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Orthopedic Fractures

In orthopedic medicine, fractures are classified as closed or open (compound) and simple or multi-fragmentary (formerly comminuted).

Closed fractures are those in which the skin is intact, while open (compound) fractures involve wounds that communicate with the fracture and may expose bone to contamination. Open injuries carry an elevated risk of infection; they require antibiotic treatment and usually urgent surgical treatment (debridement). This involves removal of all dirt, contamination, and dead tissue.

Simple fractures are fractures that only occur along one line, splitting the bone into two pieces, while multi-fragmentary fractures involve the bone splitting into multiple pieces. A simple, closed fracture is much easier to treat and has a much better prognosis than an open, contaminated fracture. Other considerations in fracture care are displacement (fracture gap) and angulation. If angulation or displacement is large, reduction (manipulation) of the bone may be required and, in adults, frequently requires surgical care. These injuries may take longer to heal than injuries without displacement or angulation.

Another type of bone fracture is a compression fracture. An example of a compression fracture is when the front portion of a vertebra in the spine collapses due to osteoporosis, a medical condition which causes bones to become brittle and susceptible to fracture (with or without trauma).

Other types of fracture are:
• Complete Fracture - A fracture in which bone fragments separate completely.
• Incomplete Fracture - A fracture in which the bone fragments are still partially joined.
• Linear Fracture - A fracture that is parallel to the bone's long axis.
• Transverse Fracture - A fracture that is at a right angle to the bone's long axis.
• Oblique Fracture - A fracture that is diagonal to a bone's long axis.
• Compression Fracture - A fracture that usually occurs in the vertebrae.
• Spiral Fracture - A fracture where at least one part of the bone has been twisted.
• Comminuted Fracture - A fracture causing many fragments.
• Compacted Fracture - A fracture caused when bone fragments are driven into each other
• Open Fracture - A fracture when the bone reaches the skin

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_fracture

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