Mini Symposium - Fractures and Discloations Flashcards
What is a fracture?
Break in the structural continuity of bone
What is the shorthand for fracture?
Hashtag
Why do bones fail?
High energy transfer innormal bones
Repetitive stress in normal bones
Low energy transfer in abnormal bones
For what reasons might bones be susceptible to fracture?
Osteoporosis
Osteomalacia, metastatic tumour
Other bone disorders
- Osteomalacia is the softening of bones especially through vitamin D or calcium deficiency
How do we describe fractures?
- Mechanism & energy of injury
- Skin & soft tissues
- Site
- Shape
- Comminution
- Deformity
- Associated injuries
What are the aims in treating fractures?
Relieving pain
Restoring function
Saving a life
Give examples of life saving support as a result of fractures?
Reducing a pelvic fracture in a haemodynamically unstable patient
Applying pressure to reduce haemorrhage from open fracture
What soft tissue can be affected from a fracture
Skin
Muscles
Blood vessles
Nerves
Ligaments
What skin issues can develop after a fracture?
OPen fractures, degloving, Ischaemic necrosis
When are muscles affected in a fracture?
Crush injury and compartment syndromes
When are blood vessels affected in a fracture?
Vasospasm an arterial laceration
When are nerves affected in a fracture?
–neurapraxias, axonotmesis, neurotmesis
Joints?
Joint instability and dislocation
How do soft tissue injuries affect healing?
Delays fracture healing time
How does soft tissue repair compare to bone repair?
Soft tissue heal by replacing injured tissue with a fibrous scar
Bone heals by regeneration of normal bony anatomy
Why do bones bleed when they break?
They are vascular
(unlike cartilage which is mostly avascular)