Fracture - a complete or partial violation of the integrity of the bone, resulting from excessive force. Although in a number of diseases, a fracture can occur even from a normal movement or a slight push. Such situations are caused by impaired bone mineralization (severe osteoporosis), tumors, metastases, or congenital malformations. By the way, the famous impressionist artist Henri Toulouse-Lautrec suffered from congenital brittle bones.
An arm bone fracture is usually caused by a fall on an outstretched arm, twisting, or a direct blow. Under the influence of a damaging factor or force, the integrity of the bone is violated, bleeding occurs, the periosteum is damaged, and when the fragments are displaced, the surrounding tissues can be additionally injured (up to the appearance of a secondary open fracture - a situation when bone fragments “pierce” the skin from the inside).
Most common fractures
Parrying arm fractures are, as their name implies, self-defense. Defending himself from a certain blow, a person substitutes his forearm. In this casethe ulna and radius bones break, the joints are damaged.
A displaced arm fracture easily occurs due to unsuccessful arm wrestling. When practicing this sport, a person has a fixed elbow, and if a force is applied to the forearm in a certain way, a lever is formed that instantly breaks the humerus. Instead of playing sports, a displaced helical fracture has to be treated.
Well, the undisputed leader of this type of injury is the "fracture of the beam in a typical place", that is, a fracture of the radius in the area of the wrist joint. Hand fractures in winter are a kind of epidemic that begins with the appearance of ice. The mechanism of injury is simple: falling on the back or side, a person instinctively puts his hand out, trying to avoid a strong blow to the head or the whole body. The body reflexively "decides" to sacrifice a hand, but save the internal organs. At the same time, the weight of the whole body “strikes” sharply on the radius, which leads to an almost inevitable fracture.
Symptoms and First Aid
The symptoms of a fracture are clear: severe pain, dysfunction of the hand (impossibility of active movements in large joints), pathological mobility is usually noted at the fracture site (that is, the hand can move “like rubber”), severe swelling, sometimes extensive hematoma, less numbness of fingers.
Fractures of the arm must be immobilized immediately. To do this, an even thin plank, a piece of plywood is bandaged to the shoulder or forearm, an improvised tire can be made from crushed plastic bottles. ATIn extreme cases, the arm can simply be bandaged to the body. In any case, the main thing is to bandage firmly, but not tight (so as not to squeeze the vessels). With an open fracture, you first need to apply a bandage to the wound, without setting the bone fragments inward. The victim can be given painkillers and transported to the hospital as soon as possible (be sure to tell the doctor what medicine and at what dose you gave the victim).
How fractures are treated
There are many methods of helping a patient in an emergency room or hospital. Gypsum treats fractures of the arm without displacement. Comminuted, intra-articular, displaced or open fractures are operated on. To fix the bones and their fastest fusion, you can “fasten” the fragments with a plate, an intraosseous rod. For open fractures, the Ilizarov apparatus and its analogues are usually used (the so-called external osteosynthesis). For faster adhesion, calcium supplements and physiotherapy are usually prescribed.
Any fracture is a serious injury. Caution, both when walking and when playing sports, can successfully avoid this extremely unpleasant problem.
