A fracture occurs when the integrity of the bone is broken due to trauma. Many types and signs of fractures are easy to detect on the spot, without the help of a specialist, however, some of them are insidious because immediately the victim may not understand that he has a fracture and urgently needs medical help: he continues to lead the old way of life with little pain and limited movement, believing that there was a severe bruise.
Let's figure out what signs of a fracture are talking about themselves the very first minute after the injury, and which only indicate that, probably, the bone is damaged.
Clinical signs of fractures
Depending on the type of fracture, its signs can be divided into reliable ones - those that leave no doubt that the bone was deformed from the impact, and relative ones - those that can cause doubts: a fracture or bruise takes place.
Reliable signs of fractures:
- Unnatural position of the arm or leg (if it is a sign of fracture of the limb).
- Mobility of the broken part in the place where there is no joint.
- Audibility of the crunch.
- With an open fracture in the wound, bone fragments are visible.
- Shortening or lengthening of the injured area.
If at least one of these symptoms is confirmed, then you can speak with 100% probability that there is a fracture. However, the presence of these signs does not deprive the obligation to do an X-ray examination.
Relative signs of fracture:
- Painful sensations in the place of fracture when immobilized or during movements. Also, if you make an axial load, the pain increases (for example, if you knock on the heel with a shin fracture).
- Puffiness at the site of the fracture can occur quickly (within 15 minutes after injury) or develop for several hours. Along with this, such a symptom has an insignificant role in determining the fracture, because it accompanies other types of damage.
- Hematoma. It may be absent, but often still occurs at the site of the fracture, with not always right away. If it pulses, then the bleeding continues.
- Limitation of mobility. As a rule, the damaged part can not function either completely or partially. If there was a fracture not of the limb, but, for example, of the coccyx, the person will feel difficulty walking, i.e. there is not only a restriction in the function of the damaged part, but also those that come into contact with it.
The presence of these signs can not speak with 100% probability of a fracture, but many of this category accompany any fracture (pain, swelling, restriction in movement).
Signs of closed fracture
All fractures are classified into open and closed fractures. The latter is diagnosed much easier than the first without an X-ray and the help of a specialist.
A closed fracture is not accompanied by soft tissue damage: in this case, the bones and joints that can change position (so called fracture with displacement) or simply lose integrity: split (so-called comminuted fracture), while maintaining the same position.
The first signs of a fracture are pain in the area of damage and edema. Movements are limited, cause pain, and bone movement may not occur in the joint region (depending on the site of injury). Often formed a hematoma.
Finally, to make sure that there is a closed fracture can only be using X-rays.
Signs of an open fracture
An open fracture is a heavier injury than a closed one. in this case, in addition to damage to the bone tissue also lose integrity. This can be due to external influences (in case of an accident, or a limb entering a moving mechanism in production) or because a broken bone itself damages the tissues.
Proceeding from this, the main signs of an open fracture are wound, bleeding, visibility of a broken bone or its fragments, pain and swelling. If the damage was very severe, the victim may suffer a traumatic shock.