Fractures

Bones form the skeleton of the body and allow the body to be supported
against gravity and to move and function in the world. Bones also protect
some body parts, and the bone marrow is the production center for blood
products.

Bone is not a stagnant organ. It is the body's reservoir of calcium and is

always undergoing change under the influence of hormones. Parathyroid
hormone increases blood calcium levels by leeching calcium from bone, while
calcitonin has the opposite effect, allowing bone to accept calcium from the
blood.

Causes

When outside forces are applied to bone it has the potential to fail. Fractures
occur when bone cannot withstand those outside forces. Fracture, break, or
crack all means the same thing. One term is not better or worse than
another. The integrity of the bone has been lost and the bone structure fails.

Broken bones hurt for a variety of reasons including:

• The nerve endings that surround bones contain pain fibers and these fibers become
irritated when the bone is broken or bruised.

• Broken bones bleed, and the blood and associated swelling (edema) causes pain.

• Muscles that surround the injured area may go into spasm when they try to hold the
broken bone fragments in place, and these spasms cause further pain.
GENERAL SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF FRACTURE

1. Pain at or near the seat of fracture.

2. Tenderness of discomfort on gentle pressure over the affected area.

3. Swelling about the seat of fracture. Swelling frequently renders it difficult

to perceive other signs of fracture and care must be taken therefore not to
treat the condition as a less serious injury.

4. Loss or power; the injured part cannot be moved normally

5. Deformity of the limb; the limb may assume an unnatural position and be
misshapen.

The contracting muscles may cause the broken ends of the bone to override,
thereby producing shortening of the limp.

6. Irregularity of the bone. If the fracture is near the skin the irregularity of
the bone may be felt.

7. Crepitus (bony grating) may be heard or felt.

8. Unnatural movement at the seat of the fracture.

DIAGNOSIS Palpation, X-rays, and clinical findings such as a

deviated septum confirm a nasal fracture.

Diagnosis also requires a complete patient history, including the injury’s

cause and the amount of nasal bleeding. Watch for clear fluid drainage, which
may suggest a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak and a basilar skull fracture. If
the patient is pregnant, a computed tomography (CT) scan is necessary.