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Compound (open) Fracture
| Name of Injury |
| Description of Injury |
Fractures happen when bone cannot withstand the outside force that is applied to it. An open fracture is a fracture in which broken bone fragments tear through soft tissue and break through an open wound in the skin. In order for an injury to be classified as a compound fracture, the outside air (and dirt and bacteria) must be able to get to the fracture site without a barrier of skin or soft-tissue. When a broken bone penetrates the skin there is a need for immediate treatment, due to the high risk of infection.
Symptoms include: severe pain, swelling and bruising, numbness, coldness, tingling, lots of blood loss, but the only real way to know if you suffer a compound fracture is getting an xray of the site.
| Skeletal Elements Involved |
- Any bone that has the potential to break the skin could be involved in a Compound Fracture.
| Muscle Elements Involved |
- Any muscle connected or associated with a bone could be involved.
- The muscles around the area where the fracture takes palce may become flaccid, or limp and lifeless.
- The displacement of the bone fragments on a long bone, like a femur, can lead to severe muscle spasms.
| Ligaments/Tendons/Other |
- Any ligament or tendon attached to a bone could potentially be involved.
- The nerve function may be temporarily lost.
| Cause of Injury |
- Compound fractures are typically a result of severe trauma.
- Usually these occur in high impact sports such as rodeos, rugby, and football, or motorcycle accidents.
- Skiing, snowmobiling, or falling from a high ledge.
| Treatment |
- The only real form of treatment is surgery, but one may be placed in a traction up until the surgery can be preformed.
- Possible methods of repairing a compound open fracture with surgery are steel screws, steel plates and steel screws, or steel rods.
- Treatment for these types of breaks is extensive and involves multiple surgeries and prolonged use of antibiotics. These injuries lead to a long recovery time due to the extent of the injury to the bone/muscles effected.
- The break itself should take about four months to heal, but full recovery requires the muscles and joints to heal as well which could take many additional months.
- After surgery the need for physical therapy to regain muscle strength and loosen joints is necessary. This may take many months depending on the extent of injury or fracture.
| Famous Sports Figures Afflicted |
Joe Theismann,a quarterback for the Redskins, broke his right tibia during a football game in 1985 against the Giants.
SURhinehart |
Latest page update: made by SURhinehart
, Apr 23 2009, 8:13 PM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by SURhinehart
136 words added 1 word deleted view changes - complete history) |
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Keyword tags:
bone
break
compound
Eduardo Da Silva Dudu
fracture
injury
Joe Theismann
open
penetrate
skin
sport
wound
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| kbakkegard | Moving the page | 0 | Mar 19 2009, 4:05 PM EDT by kbakkegard | ||
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Thread started: Mar 19 2009, 4:05 PM EDT
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