Fracture (cont.)
What are common types of fractures?
Stress fracture
A stress fracture is an overuse injury. Because of repeated micro-trauma, the
bone can fail to absorb the shock that is being put upon it and become weakened.
Most often it is seen in the lower leg, the shin bone (tibia), or foot.
Athletes are at risk the most, because they have repeated footfalls on hard surfaces.
Tennis players, basketball players, jumpers, and gymnasts are typically at risk.
A March fracture is the name given to a stress fracture of the metatarsal or
long bones of the foot. (It is named because it often occurs in soldiers who are
required to march long distances.)
Diagnosis is made by history and physical exam, though on occasion a bone
scan may be done to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment is conservative, rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory medication
like ibuprofen. These fractures can take
six to eight weeks to heal (as long as the
fracture can be seen on x-ray). Trying to return too quickly can cause
re-injury, and may also allow the stress fracture to extend through the entire
bone.
Shin splints may have very similar symptoms as a stress fracture of the tibia
but they are due to inflammation of the lining of the bone, called the
periosteum. Shin splints are caused
by overuse, especially in
runners,
walkers, dancers, including those who do
aerobics. Muscles that run through the
periosteum and the bone itself may also become inflamed.
Treatment is similar to a stress fracture and physical therapy can be helpful.
Compression fracture
As people age, there is a potential for the bones to develop osteoporosis, a
condition where bones lose their calcium content. This makes bone more
susceptible to breaking. One such type of injury is a compression fracture to
the spine, most often the thoracic or lumbar spine. Since we are an upright
animal, if the bones of the back are weaker than the force of gravity these
bones can crumple. Pain is the major complaint, especially with movement.
Compression injuries of the back may or may not be associated with nerve or
spinal cord injury. An
x-ray of the back can reveal the bone injury,
however,
sometimes a CT scan or
MRI will be used to insure that no damage is done to the spinal
cord.
Treatment includes pain medication and often a back brace. Some compression
fractures can also be treated with
vertebroplasty. Vertebroplasty involves inserting a glue-like material into the center of the collapsed spinal vertebra in order to stabilize and strengthen the crushed bone. The glue (methylmethacrylate) is inserted with a needle and syringe through anesthetized skin into the midportion of the vertebra under the guidance of specialized x-ray equipment. Once inserted, the glue soon hardens, forming a cast-like structure with the locally broken bone.
Next: Rib fracture »
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