Symptoms of a fracture

The symptoms of a fracture are those necessary signs that help differentiate the true bone damage from a strong soft tissue injury. The attributes are conditionally divided into absolute, that is, explicit and not subject to doubt, and relative, that is, indicative. Absolute fracture symptoms are characteristic and immediately confirm a fracture, indicative may indicate possible trauma to the bone, but may also be signs of other similar clinic-related injuries.

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What are the symptoms of a fracture?

Symptoms of fracture are relative: 

• There is pain, which can increase with strain on the fracture site. If the shin is broken, tapping on the heel will increase the pain in the area of the injury; 
• On the site of the fracture, edema may form, but it does not develop quickly and can not serve as a direct evidence of a fracture, on the contrary, it is more evidence of a bruise or sprain; 
• Hematoma can not form immediately, if the hematoma is pulsating, this indicates extensive hemorrhage into the subcutaneous tissue; 
• Restriction of motor activity, movement causes painful sensations; 
• A damaged bone, the limb may look atypical (fracture of the radius, crus and so on).

Symptoms of fracture are absolute: 

• The apparent uncharacteristic position and appearance of the limb; 
• Excessive mobility in areas where there are no joints; 
• When palpation, there is a characteristic crunch - crepitation, crepitation is audible with a phonendoscope, sometimes with the unaided ear; 
• Open wound and bone fragments with open fracture.

Reliable symptoms of fracture - pathological, uncharacteristic bone mobility in the place of injury, open wounds, changes in the ratio of joints, crepitus. Probable symptoms of a fracture are edema, single or multiple hematomas, pain sensations.

Diagnose the fracture as standard - examination, palpation, percussion (with a fracture of the spine), determination of the mobility of the fingers, radiograph. Also, attention is drawn to the skin in the peripheral areas from the injury area, and their color, shade is studied. Sinato-pale skin, sometimes with a marble pattern, indicates damage to the nerve endings and vessels of the limb.

Also a disturbing signal is a weak pulse or its absence in the characteristic metah, where the pulse is always palpated (radial artery, rear of the foot, popliteal zone). It is necessary to determine whether there is a violation of blood flow in the peripheral zones of the upper or lower extremities. The most accurate and reliable method for diagnosing fractures of any site and species is the radiograph. As a rule, it is carried out in several projections to see the condition of nearby joints. An x-ray of an intact pair of limbs can also be assigned to determine the asymmetry and correlation of the orientations of the bone system. X-rays provide specific information about the nature and severity of the fracture, the possible bias or the presence of bone fragments.

Symptoms of a fracture and its variants

Symptoms of ankle fracture

Such injuries are conventionally divided into four groups:

• Isolated, separate fractures of the ankles (ankles); 
• Fracture with turn of the foot inside - adduction; 
• Fracture with a turn of the foot from the outside - outward - the abduction; 
• Fracture of two ankles with damage to the tibia.

If both ankles are damaged, the fracture is accompanied by a dislocation. Clinical symptoms of fracture - puffiness, increasing rapidly, often bruising at the site of injury, severe pain.

Symptoms of a shin fracture

Such traumatic injuries occur very often and account for up to 30% of the total number of fractures. The clinical symptoms of fracture are typical, but with a leg injury often there is hemarthrosis (blood accumulation in the joint cavity). Visually the shin is shifted either outward or inward. The knee does not function, its lateral movements are broken.

Symptoms of fracture of hands

Hands are leading in terms of the number of common injuries, it is most often associated with household causes. Characteristic of such fracture symptoms as: the presence of puffiness, severe pain in the fracture site, especially pain in the elbow joint area. Sometimes a hand injury is accompanied by an increase in body temperature, which may indicate a severe hemorrhage in the place of injury (combined fracture of the forearm). The deforming of the hand is noticeable only with a fracture with displacement, and also uncharacteristic crepitus. A crunch appears only in the case of multiple, fragmented bone fractures.

Symptoms of vertebral fracture of different severity

Symptoms of a fracture of this kind are very characteristic and, as a rule, are beyond doubt. Injuries of the spine are considered the most disturbing and dangerous, sometimes not only for health, but also for the life of the victim. With a fracture, there is a strong squeezing of one of the main blood-forming organs - the spinal cord. Such a trauma is fraught with complete immobility, paralysis. In addition to the typical signs characteristic of all fractures, trauma of the spine is manifested by severe deformation, protrusion or drowning of the vertebrae. There is acute pain, especially when palpation of the damaged area. Often fracture of the spine is accompanied by immobility, loss of sensitivity in the area below the belt. Such loss of control of the lower half of the body leads to incontinence of urine and feces, or their delay.

Symptoms of fracture are almost always apparent, they can be confused only with a strong bruise. In any case, before seeking medical help it is necessary to provide the victim with immobility, immobilize the injured area. The final diagnosis can be made by the surgeon with the help of examination, palpation and X-rays.