Fractures of arms and legs - general principles of treatment of fractures of limbs
In the statistics of serious injuries, fractures of arms and legs occupy the first place. And this is not surprising, because these parts are the most mobile. In winter, the most frequent cause of injuries is a fall. The tactics of treating limb fractures depends on many factors, and the consequences of this type of injury depend on the fulfillment of medical prescriptions.
Signs of limb fracture
Most of such injuries manifest themselves in the same way:
- pain;
- swelling;
- deformation;
- pathological mobility;
- function violation.
Pain and dysfunction occur immediately at the time of injury. Pain may be mild at first even with significant damage. This is due to the release of endorphins - natural analgesic substances. After a short time, their number decreases and the pain becomes maximum.
Swelling grows gradually. Initially, it is localized only at the point of impact (if it was inflicted), but later spreads above and below the site of injury.
Pathological mobility appears with a complete fracture of the body of the bone. In this case, bone fragments are displaced relative to each other at the fracture site.
Deformation is noted in cases of displacement of parts of the broken bone from the normal axis.
Signs of fracture of the bones of the hands
Hands consist of 27 bones. Among the carpal bones, the navicular is most often affected, and the semilunar less often. Symptoms of a hand fracture are pain, swelling, and impaired function.
At injuries of carpal bones and fingers (2.5% and 5% of all fractures), all the indicated signs are present.
Symptoms of fracture of the bones of the shoulder and forearm
The most frequent is a fracture of the radial bone of typical localization. There is one place on this bone that most often breaks when falling on an outstretched arm. Shoulder bones can also be damaged by falling on the arm, even pressed to the body. All the described signs of a fracture are characteristic of this localization.
Fractures of the femur, lower leg
These fractures occur as a result of excessive axial load, blows to the thigh and lower leg, car accidents, and in elderly people - from falling sideways (this is how the femoral neck breaks). The symptoms of damage to this localization are diverse. Cervical hip fractures are characterized by turning the foot outward and the inability to lift the outstretched leg up. With fractures of the fibula, the main symptom is pain (the supporting function is not lost), with an injury of the tibia, displacement often occurs due to the peculiarities of the attachment of muscles to it. Swelling of the leg after a fracture of the leg appears often. Moreover, due to the compression of the vessels, it can persist for a long time even after the veins have been freed from the bone fragment that was pressing on them.
The most common among all bone fractures of the lower limbs are various ankle fractures. They usually occur when the leg is turned and the entire weight is transferred to it. Less often, ankles suffer from a direct blow. Together with the ankle joint, they perform a supporting function, so when they break, a person's ability to step on the affected leg drops sharply. The pain at a fracture of the ankle joint is very strong, it forces the victim to spare the place of injury.
Fractures of the bones of the foot
For this type of injury, the most characteristic symptom is pain. In case of damage to the metatarsal bones (calcaneal, tarsal, etc.), the support function of the foot is also impaired. With other bone injuries, a person can step on the leg, but spares it.
A fracture of the little finger on the leg, the sign of which is pain, does not disrupt the supporting function of the limb. Even with damage to two or more fingers, a person can walk. However, very carefully.
Treatment of limb fractures
The tactics of treatment depends on whether the victim's fracture is open or closed. There are also general principles.
In the case of a closed fracture, one should ensure the rest of the affected limb and immediately apply an immobilizing splint made of any handy tool - a stick, a board, a piece of plywood or plastic, even a glossy magazine twisted into a tube! Do not attempt to straighten a broken arm or leg. Immobilization is carried out in the position in which the limb is immediately after the injury. After immobilization, the victim must be taken to the hospital.
Providing first aid for open fractures of the limbs should not begin with immobilization, but with stopping bleeding. For this, a compression bandage is applied to the wound, and if it is ineffective, a hemostatic tourniquet, which is also made from improvised materials - a tie, belt, cord, rope, etc. d. Only after reliable stopping of bleeding, the limb is immobilized according to the rules described above and the victim is taken to the hospital.
Further treatment of closed fractures consists in applying a plaster cast or splint in order to ensure complete immobility of the limb and allow the bones to grow together. The term of immobilization depends on the severity and location of the fracture. Cast removal after an ankle fracture is carried out in 4-6 weeks, and in case of injuries to the bones of the wrist - even after 3 months from the moment of injury.
Surgical intervention is performed at:
- inefficiency of conservative treatment;
- open fractures;
- any fractures with damage to blood vessels and nerves at the site of injury.
Sometimes surgery for fractures of the extremities (upper and lower) may be necessary regardless of the presence of complicating factors. For example, most femoral neck injuries or tibial oblique fractures with displaced fragments are treated only surgically.
Rehabilitation after limb fractures
Terms of rehabilitation and its tactics after limb fractures vary greatly. Much depends on the severity of the injury, the method of fracture treatment, and its localization. The terms of fusion of a fracture of the radial bone of the hand with displacement usually do not exceed 4 weeks, the treatment of this type of injury is almost always conservative. And a fracture of the femoral neck can be incurable due to the peculiarities of the blood supply to the head of the femur.
Before removing the plaster bandage, the specialist will take a control X-ray. This is necessary in order to make sure that the bones are reliably joined. Only after that, the doctor will be able to say when you can step on your foot after a fracture of the bones of the lower limb.
After removal of immobilizing agents, the stage of final rehabilitation comes. This is a complex of procedures aimed at restoring the functions of the damaged limb - motor, supporting (for legs), grasping (for hands), etc. However, some exercises are started already in the first days after the injury. For example, bedridden patients should perform breathing exercises, and those affected by broken leg bones should work with a healthy limb so as not to lose mobility in it as well. Even the sick arm and leg should be moved in a measured manner - this improves blood supply, strengthens recovery processes and accelerates the fusion of bones. Rehabilitation after a fracture in a child is especially important - the hands are not yet fully formed, the legs are still growing. The slightest error in treatment will lead to permanent disability.
How to develop a hand after a broken wrist bone, how to get rid of a contracture in the ankle joint, how to start walking again, stepping on the leg after a hip fracture - all these questions can be answered by a rehabilitation doctor. Physical therapy, massage, and physiotherapy are used to return a person to a normal life. For each type of fracture, special sets of exercises have been developed, which you can read about on the dobrobut.com website.
Exercise and massage help when the leg swells after a heel bone fracture. These methods contribute to the improvement of the elasticity of the ligamentous apparatus of the joints, only thanks to them the muscles, weaned from the loads during the forced ""idle time"", will begin to develop again and perform their functions.
The winter season is a ""harvest time"" for traumatologists. Injury is an extremely unpleasant condition that can derail any person for a long time, and prevention is the best way to protect yourself from damage. Be careful, don't go outside in icy conditions unless absolutely necessary, look under your feet - and then you won't have to find out how long it takes to heal a broken big toe.
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Orthopedia and traumatology
Call of the emergency brigade
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