Bone fractures can result from a sudden trauma - a fall or a blow. Broken bones can also be a symptom of serious bone diseases. Regardless of the cause of the broken bone, the same symptoms appear, including limitation of limb mobility and pain increasing with movement, swelling. Find out what causes and types of bone fractures can be.

Contents:

  1. Bone fractures - bone fracture symptoms
  2. Bone fractures - causes. Injuries
  3. Bone fractures - causes. Pathological fractures
  4. Bone fractures - causes. Bone tumors
  5. Bone fractures - causes. Fatigue fracture

Bone fracturesis a break in the continuity of bone tissue with damage to the surrounding tissues.Fracturesbones can beopen (fracture where the broken bone pierces the skin) orclosed(the skin and soft tissues above the fracture are intact).

Simple (there are only two bone fragments in the fracture line) or with displacement of the bone fragments (i.e. there is no contact between them).

Bone fractures can also be articular and extra-articular, transverse and spiral-shaped, and even butterfly-shaped.

Bone fractures - bone fracture symptoms

Regardless of the type of bone fracture, similar symptoms appear, such as:

  • limb mobility restriction
  • pain worsening with movement
  • swelling
  • bleeding and bruising
  • distortion
  • unnatural position of the limb
  • with an open fracture a wound appears from which bone fragments may protrude

Breaking larger bones can lead to shock. It is the result of disturbed homeostasis of the organism, the cause of which is insufficient blood flow through tissues and organs, and thus - insufficient oxygen supply to cells, their malnutrition.

Bone fractures - causes. Injuries

A bone fracture can occur as a result of a fall or impact, such as a metatarsal fracture or a fracture of the femur on skis.

Bone fractures - causes. Pathological fractures

Pathological fractures are fractures of a bone that is weakened or damaged by disease (usually osteoporosis).Then the bone breaks even when a small force is applied (e.g. when falling from the height of the bed).

Physiological bone loss begins after the age of 30 and amounts to less than 1 percent. per year (both in women and men). This is because the activity of enzymes involved in the metabolism of vitamin D and its absorption in the intestines decrease over time.

The effect of this is a reduction in the concentration of calcium in the blood and an increase in the secretion of parathyroid hormone (a hormone of the parathyroid glands), which leads to an increase in bone destruction and, as a result, to osteoporosis.

The most common cause of pathological fractures is osteoporosis.

Bone loss in women is most pronounced in the first years after menopause. During this period, women are at risk of wrist fractures.

Compression fractures of the vertebrae of the spine (most often in the lumbar and thoracic spine) are also painful and restrict activity.

They are responsible for the loss of height. Fractures of the femoral neck are another threat (they usually happen after the age of 70). As a result of postmenopausal osteoporosis, the vertebrae, ribs, pelvis, femur and radius are at risk of fractures.

Although there are many effective methods of treating fractures, it is still unknown which women may develop them.

It is known, however, that the disease is promoted by: long-term estrogen deficiencies (e.g. early ovarian failure, hormonal disorders), genetic load (low bone mass, small and slim women are more exposed), sedentary lifestyle, i.e. low activity physical, low-dose vitamin D and calcium diet, alcohol abuse, smoking, drinking large amounts of coffee, long-term therapy with glucocorticoid hormones, used e.g. in bronchial asthma.

Read also: Fractures of the metacarpal bones and fingers

Bone fractures - causes. Bone and bone marrow tumors

Broken bones can be a symptom of bone cancers that usually affect either young people or 60-year-olds. Bone cancer is most often seen as bone pain where the tumor is growing (and can sometimes be felt). In addition, there is a thickening on the bones and swelling.

Bone fracture can also be caused by bone marrow neoplasms, such as multiple myeloma, but they are one of the many symptoms of this cancer. Initially, symptoms appear that can be easily mistaken for a cold.

Read also: Fractures of the jaw and fractures of the lower jaw

There are also bone pains, quite often inlumbar region, headache that may be mistaken for migraine. Fractures also appear.

Neoplastic growth of cells present in the bone marrow helps to displace he althy cells, which results in gradual bone destruction.

Bone fractures - causes. Fatigue fracture

A special type of fracture is a fatigue fracture, which is caused by repeated overloading of the bones - most often of the lower limbs.

Military, athletes (runners, dancers) are particularly exposed to fatigue fractures.

The text uses excerpts from the article by Anna Jarosz from the monthly "Zdrowie"

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Category:

Spine, bones, joints