UNIT 4- MUSCULOSKELTAL Flashcards
- Occurs when resistance between a bone and an applied stress yields to the applied stress, resulting in a disruption to the integrity of the bone
What is the most common site of fracture in children?
Distal forearm (radias, ulna, or both) due to the activity level of children and there attempt to brace themselves
Healing process of fractures in children is…
- Generally faster r/t rate of growth and no comorbidities
- Important not to wait for care w/fractures because the healing and remodeling phase will start quickly and can interfer with proper healing
What factors affect remodeling in children
- Age: The younger the child the greater remodeling potiental
- Location: Growthplates are typically the hardest to heal and can impact the gorwth of the bone due to the complexity of the break
- Degree of deformity: Complex/compound fractures will take longer to heal
Fractures in infancy are generally…
Rare and warrent further investigation
How are fractures diagnosed?
- Xray
- If xray is negative for fracture but childs symptoms suggest a fracture a CT or MRI may be done to r/o a fracture too small for xray to pick up
What are different types of fractures?
- Plastic deformation (bend): Not an actual break, bones, bones are more pliable so they can actually bend up to 45 degree w/out breaking
- Buckle (torus): Bulged or raised area that present at fracture site
- Greenstick: break but not all the way
- Complete
- Spiral: Twisting force seen in sport & child abuse
- Growthplate: Epiphyseal break
Our assessment of a fracture might show…
- generalized swelling
- Pain or tenderness
- Deformity
- Diminished function use
- Gaurding
- Ecchymosis:brusing under skin
- Muscular rigidity “automatic splint”
- Crepitus: Bubbling under the skin may feel or hear broken bones together… dont keep doing this.. can cause further damage
What are our priortiy actions with fracture?
- Calm and reasure
- determine the mechanism of injury
- assess the 6ps
- move the injured part as little as possible
- cover open wounds with sterile or clean dressing immobilize the limb
- reassess neurvascular status
- apply traction if ciruculatory compromise is present
- elevate the limb if possible
- apply cold to injured area
- call ems or transport to medial facility
- NEVER try and REDUCE on own
What are the advantages and disadvantages of plaster clasting?
Advantages: Molded closely to body part, smooth exterior, inexpensive
Disadvantages: Takes 10-72 hours to dry, heavy and not water resistent
What are the advantages and disadvantages to synthetic casting
Advantages: Light weight, dry quickly (5-20mins), water resistent(liners available), lots of colors and patterns
Disadvantages: Cannot be molded closely to the body, harder to write on (rough) and more expensive
When is a cast applied?
Splinted 1st and once swelling goes down can apply cast…
Why is a cast not applied immediately?
The swelling increases the risk of compartment syndrome. If applied when swelling is still present it can cause cast to become to big when swelling goes down
True or false: Casting of a fractured area will include the joint above and below?
True
What determines how much weight a child can bear?
Severity of the fracture
What developmental consideration will we think about when applying a cast?
This will determine how we are going to talk about what is happening.. Kids may be scared that things are going to hurt.. etc
Prior to casting what do we need to ensure?
Make sure skin surface is cleaned and dry. We will use a stocking net which is the liner between the skin and cast material folled by a cotton wrap then the cast material is applied
then we mold cast material to limb
Ensure smooth cast edge we may need to bring the stocking net up over the neck of the cast on synthetic casts due to roughness
What are some cast considerations we need to educate patient/parents on?
- Drys from inside out
- no heat lamps or warm hair dryers to help speed up the process this increases the risk of burns
- Reposition wet casts with palms instead of fingertips
- using fingertips can leave indentions increasing the risk of skin break down as this can create pressure points
- Elevate cast extremity using a soft surface, pillow or blanket
- Apply ice but make sure no moisture from cold pack gets into castin material esp. platster because it doesnt have the water resistent liner
- Assess 6p’s
What are windows in casts?
Openings in cast material to allow for diaper changes or assessments
What are bivalve casts?
Like a splint– cast split in half to allow for adjustments in case of swelling or need for assessments. held together by acewraps
What should we keep in mind about objects and casts?
Make sure to teach kids that there cast is not a new hiding place. Resist the urge to stick things down there to scratch
What should we keep in mind regarding moisture and casts?
- No swimming/submerging
- Cover w/plastic for showers
- if it gets wet contact HCP
What should we know about cast removals and what educationshould we provide?
- Avoid using the terminology saw… use cast removal tool. and tell them they may feel virbration and tickeling. Kids are scared and will freak if they think you will be using a saw near their legs
Education
1. Appearance: Limb may appear smaller due to muscle atrophy.. may be skinnier, may smell which is perfectly normal.. over time all this will be back to normal
2. Skin care: skin will be dry do not pick at dry skin allow to follow up normally… warm bath with mild soap
3. Return to activity: Full activity for minor breaks rule of thumb is however long you were casted is how long you must wait
4. Joint mobility: may have stiffness but with time will get better
Playing is a childs….
Physical therapy