Fractures can cause significant damage and impair the normal function of bones. Proper fracture management is crucial for allowing proper healing and restoring function. Step Ahead Clinic is your trusted destination for expert care at the Ankle Fracture Clinic in Baner.
What is Fracture?
A fracture is a partial or complete break in a bone. It's like a crack or break in a twig, but happening to the strong tissues that make up your skeleton. Fractures can range in severity, from tiny hairline cracks to complete breaks that shatter the bone into multiple pieces.
Causes of Fractures:
- High-impact trauma: This is the most common cause of fractures and can happen from falls, car accidents, sports injuries, or violence.
- Stress fractures: These small cracks or breaks are caused by repetitive stress on the bone, often from overuse in activities like running or dancing.
- Pathological fractures: These fractures happen in bones weakened by diseases like osteoporosis, cancer, or certain medications.
Symptoms of a Fracture:
- Pain: This is the most common symptom of a fracture and is usually intense and localized to the injured area.
- Swelling: The body's natural response to injury is to swell, which can cause the area around the fracture to become puffy and tender.
- Deformity: In some cases, a broken bone may be visibly out of place or misshapen.
- Loss of function: You may have difficulty moving or putting weight on the injured area if you have a fracture.
- Numbness or tingling: Damage to nerves around the fracture can cause numbness or tingling in the affected limb.
- Grating or popping sound: You may hear or feel a popping or grinding sound at the time of the injury if the bone breaks completely.
How Do You Know if You Have a Fracture?
If you experience any of the symptoms of a fracture, it's important to seek medical attention immediately. A doctor can diagnose a fracture by taking a medical history, performing a physical examination, and ordering imaging tests like X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs.