Broken leg – NHS

A broken leg (leg fracture) will be severely painful and may be swollen or bruised. You usually will not be able to walk on it.

If it’s a severe fracture, the leg may be an odd shape and the bone may even be poking out of the skin.

There may have been a “crack” sound when the leg was broken, and the shock and pain of breaking your leg may cause you to feel faint, dizzy or sick.

What to do

If you think you or someone else has broken their leg, go immediately to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department.

Call 999 for an ambulance if the injury seems severe or you’re not able to get to A&E quickly.

While you make your way to A&E or wait for an ambulance:

• avoid moving the injured leg as much as possible – keep it straight and put a cushion or clothing underneath to support it
• do not try to realign any bones that are out of place
• cover any open wounds with a sterile dressing, a clean cloth or a clean item of clothing – maintain direct pressure on the wound if it is bleeding

If the person is pale, cold and sweaty (in shock), lie them down and keep them warm and calm until you can get medical help.

How a broken leg is treated

Immobilisation

First, a healthcare professional will give you painkillers and may fix a splint to your leg to secure it in position and prevent further damage.

For severe pain, you may be given painkilling gas through a face mask or medicine through a drip into a vein.

An X-ray will be done to assess the fracture.

If the broken bone is still in position, you’ll usually just need a plaster cast. This holds the bone in place so it can heal.

If there’s a lot of swelling, you may just have a splint or cast around the back half of your leg until the swelling goes down. A full cast can be fitted a few days later.

You may be provided with painkillers to take home and information on how to look after your cast.

Read more about how to care for your plaster cast.

Reduction

If the bones are misaligned, a doctor or surgeon may need to put them back into place. This is known as reduction.

Sedatives are sometimes provided before the procedure and local or regional anaesthetic is used to numb the site of the break.

In some cases a general anaesthetic is needed, which means you’ll be asleep during the procedure.

Once the bones are in the correct position, a plaster cast can be applied.

Surgery

Severe fractures are often treated with surgery to realign and fix the broken bones. Surgeons can fix bones with metal wires, plates, screws or rods.

Plates, screws and rods will usually be left in place permanently unless they become a problem, whereas wires will be removed 4 to 6 weeks after the operation.

Sometimes an external frame (external fixator) is attached to the broken bones with metal pins to help keep them in place. This is removed once the fracture has healed.

After surgery, a plaster cast may be applied to protect the leg.

Follow-up appointments

An appointment will be made for you to attend a fracture clinic so specialist orthopaedic doctors can monitor your fracture.

The first appointment is usually booked for a week or 2 after you’re discharged from hospital.

Severe fractures will usually heal within 3 to 6 months, but may require follow-up appointments every few months for a year or more afterwards.

Further X-rays are often necessary to check how well your leg is healing.

Recovering from a broken leg

You’ll be given advice by your doctor about how much you should move your leg and when you can put weight on it.

It takes around 6 to 8 weeks for a minor fracture to heal. You’ll probably need to use crutches or a wheelchair during this time, until it’s possible to put weight on the leg again.

You’ll be shown how to safely use any mobility equipment you’re provided with.

More severe fractures can take between 3 and 6 months to fully heal. Some can take even longer.

The hospital may recommend regular physiotherapy appointments to help you maintain or regain muscle strength, movement and flexibility.

This will include specific exercises to do before and after the cast is removed.

Do not try to rush your recovery by returning to your normal activities too quickly, as the broken bone may not be fully healed even when the pain has gone.

Follow the advice of your doctor, who’ll probably recommend gradually increasing how much you use your leg over time.

You should not drive while in a cast. Seek advice from your doctor about when you can drive again.

Possible complications

For most people, a broken bone will heal within a few months and there will not be any further problems.

But complications can sometimes occur.

Damaged muscle, nerves or blood vessels

Damage around the fracture can occur during the initial injury or during surgery. 

It may lead to loss of movement or feeling, or may affect the blood supply to the limb.

Bone infection

This is more likely if surgery is performed or the broken bone stuck out of the skin. 

It can significantly delay healing and will often require treatment with antibiotics, surgery, or both.

Compartment syndrome

Compartment syndrome is a painful and potentially serious condition caused by bleeding or swelling within a bundle of muscles.

This can occur soon after a fracture, after the plaster cast has been applied, or after surgery.

Emergency surgery will usually be needed to relieve the build-up of pressure in your leg.

Other complications

Occasionally, a further operation may be needed if the bone does not heal properly.

This can happen if the bone doesn’t align properly during surgery, you put too much weight on the bone before it heals, the fracture is severe, you have diabetes, or you smoke during your recovery.

Types of fracture

Some broken bones are more serious than others – it depends on the location of the fracture, how the bone has broken, and whether there’s any damage to the surrounding tissue.

The most common types of fracture are:

• stress fractures – tiny cracks in the bone caused by overuse, common in athletes
• undisplaced or hairline fracture – a fracture through the bone with little damage to the surrounding tissue
• displaced fracture – the 2 parts of the broken bone have moved apart (misaligned)
• comminuted fracture – the bone has broken (shattered) into several pieces
• open or compound fracture – a complicated break where the bone has broken through the skin, or the initial injury has exposed the broken bone

Page last reviewed: 15 September 2021
Next review due: 15 September 2024

5 Signs of a Fracture (And What to Do About It) – Thibodaux Regional Urgent Care

There are a lot of broken bones every year in the US. Many of those happen on the job or in the home.

Unfortunately, many people won’t recognize the severity of their injury, and many won’t seek treatment for a fracture because they don’t know what signs of fracture to look for.

Keep reading to learn the 5 signs of bone fracture, and what to do about it if a potential fracture has happened to you.

What is a Bone Fracture?

Fractured bones occur when a bone cracks or is fully broken. These types of injuries are very common, with auto accidents causing many breaks but falls and other accidents in the home being the most common.

Most fractures occur in children’s arms, but people over the age of 65 can experience broken bones quite often, too. In older adults, breaks in the hip, spine, arm and legs are very common. Anyone younger than 20 and older than 65 tend to have the most fractures.

Symptoms of a fractured bone will depend on what bone is affected and what type of fracture has occurred. Stress fractures in the shin, for example, will feel and look different than a fracture in the hip or spine. A fractured shin won’t always have extreme symptoms and sometimes only present with minor swelling.

Signs of Fracture: Bruising

Any trauma to the skin can cause a bruise, but if the area that was injured starts to show a large bruise, that could mean a more serious injury. And if the discoloration comes on quickly, and over a big area, that could mean the bone is leaking blood.

Swelling

A broken bone will usually swell- a lot. Fluids will leak into surrounding soft tissue, including muscle and fat. Extra fluid buildup will cause swelling and become hard to the touch. So, if you had a trauma to your body and limbs, and you begin to swell, you should see a doctor.

Crepitus

It’s a fancy word for crunchiness. Yeah, ew. If you are injured and the area feels like loose gravel, or makes a crunchy sound, you could have a fracture. That sound is from bits of broken bone rubbing together…and we don’t need to say anything else.

See a doctor at Thibodaux Regional Urgent Care – Houma, right away.

Deformity

This is probably your best sign that you’ve got a fracture. When your limb is bent in places it shouldn’t be, there’s likely a broken bone in there. And if the bone is protruding from your skin, you definitely have a fracture and possibly a dislocation.

Pain or Numbness

This might seem like a symptom to overlook. After all, most injuries to the body will hurt to some extent. And pain isn’t always an indication of a serious injury, because everyone has a different threshold for pain. But if the pain is severe and you have a difficult time moving, you might have a fracture.

Likewise, if the area goes numb and you have a hard time even feeling your body part, that’s a good indication of a fracture.

Need a Doctor?

This quick guide will give you some idea of what signs of fracture to look for, but if you have an injury and are unsure, please see a doctor. If you’re in need of urgent care, come see us at Thibodaux Regional Urgent Care – Houma. We’ve got you covered.

Read our check list of things to know before you visit us.

Symptoms and principles of treatment of fractures of the extremities

Contents:

• General principles of treatment
• The main signs of a fracture of the arms and legs
• How to identify a fracture of the hands
• The main signs of a fracture of the bones of the shoulder and forearm
• Obvious signs of hip fracture, lower leg
• First symptoms of foot fracture
• Procedure for treatment of limb fractures
• Stages of rehabilitation after limb fractures

Fractures of the arms and legs occur as a result of excessive mechanical stress that exceeds the strength of the bone. When the integrity is violated, a complete or partial violation of the integrity of the bone is observed. The complexity of the injury, its classification and subsequent treatment depend on the strength of the mechanical impact.

General principles of treatment

Tactics of treatment depends on the type of fracture – open or closed. But still there are general principles that are important to observe both in the provision of first aid and subsequently during therapy.

When closed, that is, when there is no obvious wound, protruding bone, you need to:

• Provide rest to the injured arm or leg.
• Apply immobilization splint as quickly as possible. You can make it from any material at hand – sticks, a piece of plywood, boards, durable plastic. The easiest option is to roll newspapers or magazines into a tube.
• It is impossible to straighten a broken limb, it must be fixed in the position in which it remains after the injury.
• Send victim to hospital as soon as possible.
• In a hospital, a person is put in a cast or splint. One of these measures ensures the immobility of the bones, which as a result contributes to their fusion.

After successful fusion, and this may take from 1 month or more, depending on the complexity, the plaster is removed.

If an open fracture occurs, then the procedure is slightly different. The first step is to stop the bleeding. To do this, a pressure bandage is applied to the wound, if it does not give the desired effect, it is replaced with a tourniquet. It can also be made from improvised materials – a belt, a strong rope, a tie. After stopping the bleeding, the procedure is the same as for the closed one.

If a cast or splint is not successful, surgical treatment can be used. It is also practiced with open injuries, if along with the fracture there was a rupture of blood vessels, nerves at the site of injury.

Please note! Sometimes a fracture requires surgery even without complicating factors. For example, if the femoral neck is damaged with displacement, only surgical treatment is needed.

Main signs of broken arms and legs

Symptoms of a fracture of an arm or leg in any part are quite obvious. Among the standard ones that appear in any case:

• Pain and swelling.
• Deformation.
• Pathological mobility.
• Impaired function.
• Uncharacteristic situation.

Moreover, pain from dysfunction occurs immediately after injury. But it is important to understand that it may not be very painful right away, this happens only with very severe damage. In other cases, the pain increases gradually. This is due to the release of endorphins in the body. This is a natural pain reliever that relieves the condition for a short time, then the pain grows and becomes much stronger.

Edema also does not appear immediately, it grows gradually. The direction of its growth will be from the point of impact and further along the perimeter – above and below.

Pathological mobility is observed with a complete fracture of the arm or leg. In this case, the displacement of bone fragments in relation to each other is observed. As for the deformation, it occurs when the parts of the broken limb are displaced from the normal axis.

How to identify a broken hand

Symptoms of a broken hand can be divided into local and general. As for the local ones, this is pain at the site of injury, it will intensify at the moment of trying to move the hand, a similar sensation will be when moving the fingers.

Injury to the bones of the hand is always accompanied by edema. It starts from the site of damage and stretches to the entire brush. Since there are many blood vessels in this area, there is a risk of a hematoma, which is clearly visible due to the blueness of the skin at the site of injury.

Please note! If the navicular bone is broken, then this can be determined in 50% of cases, because the anatomical snuffbox disappears.

If we talk about general symptoms, then it can be observed:

• Temperature within +37-38 degrees. It is also called subfebrile.
• Rapid heartbeat.
• An open fracture may lower blood pressure.
• If the pain is severe, the victim may lose consciousness.
• Pain shock.

Hands can break in different areas, because there are many types of fractures, depending on which bone is damaged. Complicating the diagnosis and subsequent treatment is that the symptoms of different types are similar. An x-ray is used to make an accurate diagnosis.

The main signs of a fracture of the bones of the shoulder and forearm

It is worth starting from the signs of shoulder damage, because there are many variations of what can be damaged. If the upper section is injured, the symptoms will be as follows:

• Pain in the shoulder joint.
• Mild swelling in impacted fractures.
• Slight limitation of passive movements.

If a displaced fracture occurs, the clinical picture is as follows:

• Severe pain.
• Moderate edema appears.
• Deformity in the joint area.
• Shortening of the limb.
• The crunch of bone fragments is determined.

If the middle part of the humerus is injured, the symptoms are:

• Pain and swelling at the site of injury.
• Crepitation of bone fragments.
• Humerus mobility.
• If the radial nerve is damaged, the victim cannot straighten the fingers and hand.

Damage to the lower section can be recognized by the following signs:

• Swelling on the elbow and shoulder.
• Sharp pain.
• With flexion fractures, visual elongation of the forearm is noticeable, with extensor fractures, shortening.
• Such an injury may be accompanied by a dislocation of the bones of the forearm.

Fractures of the bones of the forearm is one of the most common injuries, the frequency ranges from 11.3-30.5% of the total number of injuries of this type. The symptomatology is different and it depends on the location of the damage.

If the olecranon is injured, it will manifest itself as follows:

• Swelling and cyanosis of the elbow joint.
• Deformation.
• When extended, the arm hangs down.
• Trying to move causes severe pain.
• If the fracture is displaced, it will not be possible to flex the forearm on its own.

If I break the coronoid process, then there is a limited flexion of the forearm, the pain is localized in the region of the cubital fossa.

Fracture of the neck and head of the radius will be able to learn about swelling, pain just below the elbow joint, limited flexion of the forearm. When rotating, a sharp pain is felt.

In other types, the most characteristic signs are:

• Edema.
• Pain at the site of injury.
• Limited movement in the forearm.

Obvious signs of a fracture of the bones of the femur, lower leg

Hip fracture is most often accompanied by a state of shock and corresponds to 1-2 degrees of severity. You can understand that the femur is broken by:

• Edema and hematoma in the area of ​​damage.
• Hip deformity.
• Pain is felt when trying to exercise.
• There is a deterioration in blood supply, as a result the leg becomes cold.
• On palpation, you can feel the mobility of the bones and / or their fragments.
• Impaired motor function.
• Deterioration of arterial pulsation in the foot.

Also, the symptoms may differ depending on the location of the injury on the femur.

It is possible to determine that the lower leg is broken by the following signs:

• Local pain syndrome in one or more areas of injury.
• Swelling of the leg.
• Difficulty walking, standing, lifting weights, and other activities with emphasis on the leg.
• Noticeable leg deformity, uneven length.
• Bruising or other discoloration of the skin at the site of injury.
• Change in sensation in the foot area.
• Protrusion of bone fragments through the skin with a closed fracture, with an open wound bleeding.
• If the nerve is damaged, then the foot will hang down and it will not be possible to move it.

The first symptoms of a foot fracture

In this case, the signs may differ slightly depending on the area of ​​injury. In general, the following can be distinguished:

• Sharp pain at the site of injury.
• Edema, marked hemorrhage – local or extensive.
• Displaced fracture shows deformity.
• Impossible to move the foot due to severe pain.
• Sharp pain when touched.

Procedure for the treatment of fractures of the extremities

The stages of treatment of fractures of the extremities are quite standardized and have not changed significantly over many centuries. First aid is very important for successful therapy. The person providing it should know the main points:

• Assess the severity of the injury and the location of the damage, if there is bleeding, then stop it.
• Determine if the injured person can be moved.
• Apply a splint to immobilize the limb.

As for the first medical aid, the medical staff carries out the following actions:

1. Assessment of the severity of the condition. If life-threatening complications are detected, fight them.
2. Differential diagnosis, fracture confirmation.
3. Management of life-threatening conditions.
4. Adequate immobilization and transport to hospital.

Medical assistance directly in the hospital is especially necessary for complex comminuted fractures, when immobilization without displacement is difficult. It is very important for severe injuries to control pain. Locally, pain indicates the site of injury, but upon reaching a certain threshold, it becomes life-threatening. Therefore, timely anesthesia is important.

X-rays are taken every 5-7 days regardless of location and severity.

In most cases, traditional treatment is used, which consists of applying a cast to fix the leg in a motionless state.

Another technique is traction or traction. The essence of the method is to neutralize the impact of the muscles that are attached to the bone fragments, which prevents their displacement relative to each other. This effect creates the necessary conditions for proper tissue regeneration.

For fractures of small bones or fractures in tubular bones, functional methods can be used in which immobilization is not applied.

Methods of surgical treatment have appeared relatively recently and are used most often for injuries of spongy bones. Their restoration by conservative methods is difficult. If conservative treatment does not give the desired result, repositioning is allowed. In other words, under anesthesia in the operating room, an incorrectly fused bone is broken to the victim, after which one of the methods of surgical treatment is applied. Which one is determined depending on the patient’s condition.

Stages of rehabilitation after limb fractures

Rehabilitation after a limb injury is also very important, because it depends on how fully the functionality of the arm or leg returns. The recovery time depends on the severity of the injury and the correctness of the treatment. So if the radius of the hand is broken, it will be possible to recover relatively quickly, and there will be a complete cure. As for the fracture of the femoral neck, there is a big risk that it will not be possible to return to the previous state of health. All because there are certain features of the blood supply to the femoral head.

Before removing the cast, the doctor should take a follow-up X-ray to make sure that the bone has healed properly.

Final rehabilitation can be in the following forms:

• Therapeutic exercise.
• Physiotherapy treatment.
• Massage.
• CRM therapy.

The choice of technique, the schedule of visits to the procedure and the intensity depend on the condition of the victim. All these points are determined by the attending physician. At the same time, it is very important to adhere to the rehabilitation scheme, because the load on the injured limb should be dosed, and its increase should be gradual. Smooth rehabilitation for fractures in children is especially important – the slightest mistake is fraught with permanent disability in the future.

How to recognize a broken arm and what to do next

Likbez

Health

May 13, 2021

In a few weeks, the injury will be gone if you take care of yourself.

You can listen to the article. If it’s more convenient for you, turn on the podcast.

What is an arm fracture

An arm fracture is a crack or fracture in any of the three bones that make up the upper limb: the humerus, radius, or ulna.

Image: solar22/Shutterstock

This is a common injury that most often occurs when falling onto an outstretched arm. In most cases, the bone can be successfully restored with a cast or splint. But there are also more serious situations that require surgical intervention.

At the slightest suspicion of a fracture, you should immediately go to the nearest emergency room or emergency room. Don’t waste time. It is important.

How to tell if it’s a broken arm

The arm usually breaks with a characteristic click or crack. Such a soundtrack may be the first sign of a fracture. But there will definitely be others:

• Severe pain, which becomes more noticeable when moving. Because of this, a person cannot use his hand.
• Numbness of the limb.
• Restricted mobility. If you place your hand palm up, it will not be possible to turn it palm down in a normal twisting motion.
• Noticeable swelling in the area of ​​the alleged fracture. Puffiness may not occur immediately, but increase over several hours.
• Bruises, subcutaneous hemorrhages.
• Visible hand deformity. For example, it may be curved in an unnatural way.

To suspect a fracture, it is enough that one or two symptoms appear immediately after a blow or a fall.

Why you need to seek help as soon as possible

Fractures heal well if treated as soon as possible. But if you decide to play for time, serious complications can develop. Including deadly ones.

• Stopping bone growth in children. In childhood, the limbs are still lengthened. This happens due to the growth zones, which are located along the edges of each bone. If the fracture has affected this particular area, the lengthening may stop. And this will lead to the fact that by adulthood one arm will become shorter than the other.
• Osteoarthritis. Fractures that affect the joint, years later, can lead to its inflammation – arthritis.
• Stiffness of movement. Incorrectly fused bone often leads to limited mobility of the hand.
• Bone infection. With an open fracture, when the bone breaks through the skin and comes out, it can be attacked by microbes that can cause infection. This is dangerous because it can lead to bone destruction and blood poisoning.
• Damage to nerves or blood vessels. If sharp fragments form on the bone during an injury (this is the so-called comminuted fracture), they can break nearby blood vessels or nerve endings. This can be seen by numbness, swelling and the appearance of hematomas. If you do not quickly see a doctor, the hand may permanently lose mobility.
• Compartment syndrome. Due to excessive swelling, blood circulation in the arm can also stop. That is, tissues, including muscle and bone, will begin to die. Compartment syndrome usually appears 1–2 days after injury. The beginning of the process can be seen by pain and severe numbness in the affected arm. This disorder is a medical emergency and requires the immediate attention of a surgeon.

How to treat a broken arm

First, you will have an x-ray to find out what condition the bone is in.

If the fracture is confirmed, the surgeon will place a cast or splint on the affected limb. This is important to give the bones a chance to recover. To reduce pain, your doctor will suggest you an analgesic drug and muscle relaxant drugs that relieve muscle spasm.

If the swelling is very large, the arm will be covered with a temporary bandage.