Broken Arm – Fractures And Recovery
This may involve fracturing or breaking of any of the three bones of the arm- the ulna, radius and humerus. This injury is common to both children and adults. In adults the fractures of the arm account to almost half of all broken bones whereas in children the fractures of the forearm are second to broken collarbones.
Terms related to broken arm include:
Alignment-this is the relationship on how the broken portions of the bone come together.
Angulation- is an angle formed by broken pieces of bone which shows a measure of seriousness of the fracture. Others include closed fracture, comminuted fracture, dislocation, displaced fracture, fracture, fracture dislocation, greenstick fracture, malunion, nonunion, occult fracture, open fracture and pathological fracture.
Causes of broken arm: They are caused by either falls or direct traumas. Falls that produce fractures occur when one falls on his/her outstretched hand. This may cause a fracture running from the wrist to the shoulder depending on the fall direction. Other factors that may determine the fracture due to fall include; age of the person and other factors that may influence the stress applied on the bone.
Trauma may range from direct blow to the arm from an object such as a bat or trauma occasioned from a car accident which may lead to a direct force to any part of the arm.
Symptoms of broken arm:
i. There is usually a large amount of pain experienced and this pain is increased when one tries to move the arm. This makes it difficulty for one to perform any task using the injured arm.
ii. Deformity- some extreme cases of a broken arm may lead to deformity depending on the extent of the fracture especially if one is involved in a road accident and a lot of trauma is inflicted on the arm. One arm may be deformed and the other not if not injured.
iii. Swelling- there is a lot of swelling on the broken arm due the injury sustained.
iv. The skin may be broken thus development of open wounds. This may be as a result of a bone fracturing the skin during the injury.
v. There is decreased sensation on the affected areas or inability to move the limb which may be indicative of damage to nerve/nerves.
Tests and examinations:
It starts with history and physical examination of the injury; this will enable the doctor to determine the level of injury. This is followed by X-rays which test for broken bones by taking two views of the arm. If the fractures are not visible through X- rays then MRI or CT scan is conducted.
Broken arm treatment:
At home the following care can be done: First aid by use of a towel as a sling, this is then put around the neck to stabilize the arm. This is followed by application of ice in injured area in order to decrease the pain and swelling for about twenty to thirty minutes.
At the hospital a splint maybe applied, medicine will be administered and if there are injuries that warranty admission then the individual is admitted. Follow ups are made to ensure full recovery.