First Aid For Fractures Flashcards
What is a fracture?
A forcible break in the continuity of bony tissue.
What are the causes of a fracture?
Direct blow
Indirect blow
Muscular action
Metabolic disorders
What is an example of a direct blow cause of a fracture?
RTA, kicked, fallen, shot.
What is an example of an indirect blow for cause of a fracture?
From the shock of impact - e.g.,jumped off something.
What is an example of a muscular action for the cause of a fracture?
Where the muscle is so strong and pulls on the bone.
What is an example of a metabolic disorder for the cause of a fracture?
Spontaneous fracture - e.g., osteoporosis, osteosarcoma.
What are the two types of fractures commonly seen?
Incomplete & complete fractures.
What is a complete fracture?
Fracture line extends across the bone.
What is an incomplete fracture?
Where the fracture is not all the way across the bone - either green stick or fissure.
Green stick = seen in young animals with supple growing bones.
Fissure = crack is not right across, and fragments remain in place.
What does a simple fracture mean?
Where the bone is broken cleanly into two pieces.
What is a compound fracture?
Wound communicating between the skin or mucous membranes and the fracture site.
What is a complicated fracture?
When important structures or organs around fracture site are damaged.
I.e., blood vessels, nerves, spinal cord, lungs or heart.
What is a multiple fracture?
More than one fracture site separated by an appreciable distance.
E.g., the pelvis.
What is a comminuted fracture?
The bone broken into more than one piece.
What are the three shapes of the fracture?
Transverse = fracture at right angles to the line of the cortex.
Oblique = fracture line is diagonal to the cortex.
Spiral = fracture line twists around the bone in a spiral.
What does a depressed position mean?
Fragments are pushed downwards - i.e., skull.
What does an overriding position mean?
Fragments overlie each other - caused by contraction of the muscles.
What does a distracted position mean?
Bone fragments pulled apart by the contraction of muscles.
What does an impacted position mean?
Bone driven into each other by force of the accident.
What are some signs of a fracture?
Pain
Swelling
Loss of movement/function
Deformity
Crepitus
Unnatural mobility
What should you do to help minimise movement of a fracture?
Handle animal & fracture as little as possible - fractured limb should be away from you.
Provide support - splint, bandage.
Control haemorrhage.
When should splints be used?
When there is a fracture involving the stifle or elbow downwards.
Cannot be used for - compound fractures, femur or humerus fractures.
What is a luxation?
When the normal anatomy of the joint has been disrupted; the articular surfaces are no longer aligned.
Commonly affects - hip, elbow, carpus and tarsus.
