Fracture & Trauma Care

What Is a Fracture?

A fracture is a broken bone. Fractures happen to people of all ages, most often because of a road accident, a fall or a sports injury. In older people with weaker bones, even a simple fall at home can break a hip or wrist.

A fracture is often an emergency, especially when a large bone breaks, such as the upper arm bone (humerus), the thighbone (femur) or the lower leg bones (tibia and fibula), or when the broken bone comes through the skin.

If you or someone with you has just been injured, read Fracture Care in Thane: What to Do and Where to Go.

Types of Fracture

Open and Closed Fractures

There are two main types. In a closed fracture, the more common type, the broken bone does not break the skin. In an open fracture, the broken bone comes through the skin, often with bleeding. Open fractures carry a high risk of infection and need urgent surgery.

Other Ways Fractures Are Described

• Displaced or undisplaced: whether the broken ends have moved out of line.
• Into the joint: a break that runs into a joint surface, which often needs exact repair to prevent arthritis later.
• Stress fracture: a fine crack from repeated strain, common in runners and soldiers.
• Fragility fracture: a break from a minor fall, often a sign of weak bones (osteoporosis).
• Children’s fractures: young bones bend and heal fast, but breaks near the growth plates need careful treatment.

Signs of a Broken Bone

• Pain that is worse when you move or press on the area
• Swelling and bruising
• A limb that looks bent, shortened or out of shape
• Being unable to use the limb or put weight on it
• A grinding feeling, or a snap heard at the time of injury

Why Fractures Need Prompt Treatment

A fracture should be diagnosed and treated quickly. It is very painful, and it may come with damage to nerves and blood vessels. If it is missed or left untreated, it can lead to compartment syndrome in the short term, a dangerous build-up of pressure in the muscles, and to deformity or a bone that does not join (a non-union) in the longer term.

The aims of treatment are to reduce pain, hold the broken bone in the right position while it heals, find and treat any complications, and return you to how you were before the injury within a reasonable time.

How Fractures Are Treated

Dr. Gadkari chooses the treatment that suits the bone, the type of break and your daily life. The main options are:

Casts, Slings, Splints and Braces

A broken bone cannot heal if it keeps moving. These devices hold it still. Your doctor will tell you how long you need one and whether it can be taken off for bathing or exercises.

Internal Fixation

An operation in which the broken pieces are put back in place and held together with screws, metal plates or rods (nails) inside the bone. This allows earlier movement for many fractures.

External Fixation

A frame outside the body holds the bone through pins or screws. It is often used for open fractures or badly swollen limbs. The frame is removed later, and sometimes internal fixation is done as a second step.

Traction

A gentle pulling force, applied through skin tapes or a metal pin, lines up the broken bone. Today it is mostly used as a short first step before another treatment.

Walkers, Sticks and Crutches

These take weight off the broken bone so you can move about safely until it is strong enough to bear weight.

Recovery After a Fracture

Most broken bones in adults take about 6 to 12 weeks to heal, and longer to regain full strength. Healing is slower in older people, smokers and people with diabetes. Physiotherapy is an important part of recovery, to bring back movement and strength once the bone allows.

Protecting Your Bones

If you broke a bone in a simple fall, ask about a bone density test. Treating osteoporosis, staying active, getting enough calcium and vitamin D, and making your home safer all lower the chance of another fracture.