Sticks and Stones Might Break Your Bones

One of those worries is broken bones, or fracture as they are also called.  There are several types of fractures, some of the the most common are described below:

• Greenstick fracture: Picture snapping off a live twig from a bush, and then trying to break it in half.  It only cracks halfway through, right?  That’s a greenstick fracture…the bone is bent and buckled, with only a part of it actually damage
• Buckle or torus fracture:  When the bone has bent but not actually broken at all.
• Open or compound fracture: One of the peices of the broken bone pokes out through the skin. Yeah, hard to think about.
• Hairline fracture:  A very thin break.
• Displaced fracture: The bone has broken and separated into more than one It’s like two puzzle peices that fit together but are far from near each other.
• Segmental fracture:  The bone is broken in more than one place.
• Comminuted fracture:  The bone is broken into more than two peices, or crushed.
• Non-displaced fracture:  The bone has broken but the peices have not moved from their original location.

What should you do if you think your child might have broken a bone?  Definitely seek medical attention immediately.  Call for an ambulance if there is a head, neck, or back injury or if the bone has come through the skin.

Otherwise, immobilize the area to prevent further injury or displacement, apply ice to help reduce swelling, and get to the emergency room right away!

Related posts

• No related posts.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 12th, 2008 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Healthy Family.