Week 118 - Fractured Hip Flashcards
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: Give a definition of fracture.
The loss of continuity of a bone due to physical stress.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: Give a definition of dislocation.
The complete loss of contact between articulating surfaces of a joint.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What are the five types of fractures of long bones? Give a brief description of each.
- Transverse - Across the bone.
- Spiral - As it says on the tin.
- Oblique - diagonally down the bone.
- Comminuted - The bone breaks into several pieces. (close together).
- Segmental - The bone breaks into more than 2 pieces but the breaks are quite far apart.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What are the two types of fractures for cancellous bones. Give a brief description of each.
- Impacted - A fracture when bone fragments are driven into each other.
- Crush / Compression - Mostly associated with spinal.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What is an avulsion fracture?
• This is when a bit of bone is pulled off the rest of a bone by a tendon/ligament.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What are the four types of deformity that can occur?
- Displacement (shift)
- Angling (Tilt)
- Rotation
- Shortening
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What are the four stages of fracture healing?
- Inflammation
- Soft callus
- Hard callus
- Remodelling
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What is present in a fracture haematoma?
- Fibrin clot
- Platelets
- Monocytes
- Polymorphs
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What marks the start and end of the soft callus stage of fracture healing?
- Begins when pain and swelling subsides.
- Ends with bony fragments being united by fibrous or cartilaginous tissue.
• Bone ends are no longer freely moveable but angulation is still possible.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What occurs during the hard callus stage of fracture healing?
- Mineralisation of cartilage.
- Osteoblasts convert cartilaginous tissue into woven bone.
- Increasing fracture stiffness.
- External callus.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What occurs during the remodelling stage of fracture healing?
- Woven bone is converted into lamellar bone.
- Excessive callus removed.
- Medullary canal reconstructed.
- May not be completed for years.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: Which type of fixing methods give relative stability?
- Plaster cast
- IM nails
- External fixation
- Traction
- Circular frames
- Internal fixation with relative stability.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: Which fixing method gives absolute stability?
• Internal fixation with absolute stability.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What are the rules of two for radiographs?
- Two views (90º)
- Two joints
- Two limbs
- Two occasions
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What are the non-operative options for retention of a fracture?
- Strapping
- Plaster slab/cast
- Traction
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What are the operative options for retention of a fracture?
- Plates and screws
- IM nails
- External fixator
- Percutaneous screws.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What are the indications for internal fixation?
- Displaced intra-articular fractures.
- Fractures with tenuous blood supply.
- Multiple injuries.
- More than one fracture in a single limb.
- Pathology of long bones.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What would you expect to see in arterial vascular trauma from a fracture?
- Painful
- Pale or plum coloured
- Paraesthetic
- Pulseless
- Perishing cold
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What is fat embolism? What is the classic triad of symptoms?
- Fat globule in lung parenchyma and peripheral circulation post long bone fracture or major trauma.
- Respiratory, Neurological, Petechial Rash.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What is compartment syndrome and what are the complications?
- Muscle swelling within a closed osseo-fascial compartment leading to increased pressure.
- Capillary ischaemia and death > neurovascular damage.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What are the three symptoms of compartment syndrome?
PAIN
PAIN out of proportion of injury.
PAIN on passive stretch of muscles.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What are two signs of compartment syndrome that come on late and show that you are too late.
- Pins and Needles
* Pulselessness
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What is non union?
- Fracture has failed to unite and healing process is no longer active.
- Fracture will never unite unless treatment is altered.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What are the two main types of non-union?
- Hypertrophic non-union.
* Atrophic non-union.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What is hypertrophic non-union?
- Inadequate stability but bone ends are viable.
- Sclerotic and flared bone ends make excessive callus - ‘Elephants foot’.
- Visible fracture line filled with fibrous tissue / cartilage.
- Good blood supply.
- Stabilise and union will occur.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: What is Atrophic non-union?
- No evidence of cellular activity.
- Bone ends are rounded and sclerotic.
- Treatment is less reliable and more complex than for hypertrophic non-union.
- Bone ends are removed and rigid stabilisation.
Week 118 - Fractured Hip: Where are the most common places that avascular necrosis of bone occurs?
• Femoral head, scaphoid, talus, lunate.