According to the best orthopedic doctor in Kolkata, a fracture is a partial or full break in bone tissue. It can occur in any part of your body. Below, we will discuss the symptoms of a fracture and its treatment.
Symptoms of a fracture
The symptoms of a fracture differ depending on the location, age, general health, and severity of the injury. However, some of the common symptoms of bone fracture are as follows.
- Pain
- Bruising
- Swelling
- Discolouration of the skin around the affected area
- Inability to exert weight on the affected bone
- Protrusion of the affected area
- Inability to move the fractured area
- A grating sensation in the broken joint or bone
- Bleeding in case of an open fracture
In severe cases of fracture, the person can also experience the following symptoms.
- Dizziness
- Nausea
Diagnosis and treatment of a fracture
To diagnose a fracture, an orthopedician will order an X-ray, CT scan, and MRI to fully check the fracture. After it has been diagnosed, the doctor will suggest the following treatments for your bone fracture.
- Closed reduction
Severe fractures require a closed reduction to realign your bones. For this non-surgical procedure, the top orthopedic doctor will pull and push your body on the outside in order to align the broken bones present inside.
- Immobilization
If your fracture is mild, you might only require a cast or a splint. Splinting needs to be kept for three to five weeks, while a cast has to be kept for up to six to eight weeks. In both cases, you will need to do some X-rays to ensure your bones are healing properly.
- Surgery
There are some bone fractures that can only be treated with surgery. Depending on the type of fracture you have and the damage to the bones, your doctor might perform a few surgical procedures.
- Bone grafting
If your bone gets severely displaced due to a fracture or if your bone is not healing the way it should, your doctor will insert an additional bone tissue to rejoin the fractured bone.
- Arthroplasty
In case you have a joint fracture, you might require an arthroplasty. Your surgeon will remove your damaged joint and replace it with an artificial joint. This joint can be either ceramic, heavy-duty plastic, or metal. The new joint will appear like the natural joint and move in the same way.
- External fixation
To stabilize your fracture and give it enough time to heal, your doctor might suggest an external fixation in which they insert screws on the bone and on either side of the fracture and connect them to a bracket or brace around the bone on the outside of the body.
We have mentioned the symptoms and treatment of a bone fracture. If you have a fracture, reach out to the best orthopedic doctor to get proper treatment.