Accidents are a part of life; and they sometimes lead to injuries like broken bones. Not only are fractures painful, they cause other issues, too. There are different types of fractures, and knowing which one you've sustained helps in your treatment plan.
At the Spine and Orthopedic Center of NM, our team members are experts in orthopedic care, especially when it comes to fractures; they diagnose the type of your fracture using on site imaging. This helps determine the best plan of treatment to get you back to your life.
Broken bones can happen at any point in your life. This type of injury happens as the result of sudden force on your bone that it’s unable to handle. But blunt force trauma isn’t the only way you can break a bone — medical conditions also lead to certain types of fractures.
So how do you know if you’ve suffered a fracture? Usually this type of injury causes immediate pain in the area of the fracture. However, there are other symptoms that clue you into a broken bone, including:
Bleeding may also be present if the broken bone pushes through your skin. There are many different types of fractures, and each has unique symptoms.
Fractures are classified in a number of different ways — where they’re located, the way the bone is broken, and if the bone is in line or not. With so many types of fractures, how can you tell the difference? The truth is, you probably won’t know what type of injury you’ve sustained until you have been evaluated. The following are five common types of fractures that you could run into:
This injury occurs when the bone is broken but the halves are still in line with each other. This type of fracture usually involves conservative treatment like casting, to help the bones heal back together.
This is also known as an open fracture, and occurs when severe force causes your bone to pierce through your skin. This fracture is usually very painful, and sometimes requires surgery to get the bones back into proper alignment.
A transverse fracture describes the pattern of the break in your bone. In this fracture, the line of the break is horizontal, meaning across the bone.
This type of fracture has a fracture line that occurs at an angle. Unlike a transverse fracture where the break is across the bone, an oblique fracture has a diagonal angle.
Comminuted fractures are a more severe type of fracture, because your bone breaks into several pieces. You could have other damage with this type of fracture, due to the multiple bone shards.
Whichever type of fractures you sustain, Dr. Osmani gets you the quick treatment you need to ease your pain and get your life back to normal quickly.
The recommended treatment depends on the location of your fracture, as well as the severity. The type also plays a role in the treatment you receive. One thing is for sure, though: getting treatment as soon as possible decreases complications down the road.
Conservative treatments are for stable fractures where the bones align with each other. The main goal of conservative treatment is to keep the broken bone immobilized while you heal. Immobilization comes in the form of casts or splints. These are usually left in place for several weeks, while your body works to heal the injury.
However, if your broken bone is severe and the bones are out of alignment, you may need surgical treatment to make sure you get full use out of your bone after you heal. Surgery involves Dr. Osmani opening the area of the injury, and fixing the bones back together with metal plates and screws.
After your procedure, you’ll still be in a cast or splint for several weeks. You’ll have frequent visits to the Spine and Orthopedic Center of New Mexico to make sure you aren’t having any other complications.
When you need treatment for a broken bone, call the Spine and Orthopedic Center of New Mexico team at 575-623-9101 or book an appointment online today.
