N213: Health Differences Across the Life Span 3

N213: Health Differences Across the Lifespan 3 Study Guide Bone fractures can occur if any of the soft tissue functions are compromised and happen three different ways: • Stress: This happens to athletes or others that use bone structures repeatedly • Traumatic: These are caused by sudden injuries like a car accident, assault, or fall • Weakness: These are secondary to disease, pathological fractures, or tumors Fractures are also classified into different categories and the injury can predict the type of fracture and vise versa, which is helpful in cases of assault or abuse. The different types of fractures are: • Open/compound: An open wound exposes the broken bone. This is caused by the bone pushing through the skin or traumatic force. • Closed: The skin remains intact over the fracture. • Colles’ fracture: This occurs when a person uses the arm to break a fall and fractures the distal radius. This most commonly occurs in adults. • Comminuted: This happens when the bone breaks and splinters in separate pieces. • Greenstick: This is a fracture to one cortex of the bone. • Double: This is when one bone is fractured in two different areas. • Linear: A fracture with a parallel line along the long axis of the bone. • Spiral: A fracture caused by twisting force, which causes a fracture with an oblique shape. • Complete: A complete break where the bone fragments are in two pieces and not connected. • Depressed: A skull fracture where the bone is pressed in. • Compression fracture: This is when the vertebra is fractured along the long axis of the vertebral column. • Complicated: A fracture that has caused injury to other body tissues or organs. Fractures need medical attention as soon as possible or complications and deformity can develop. The following are complications of fractures: • Nonunion: The fracture does not heal and leaves a gap between the fractured bones. • Malunion: The fracture heals in a misaligned fashion and can cause permanent deformity. • Fat embolism: Fat globules from the bone marrow can enter the bloodstream and travel elsewhere in the body. Symptoms include low oxygen saturations, fever, tachycardia, tachypnea, respiratory distress, and petechiae (red marks on the skin). • Osteomyelitis: This is an infection of the bone and requires IV antibiotics long term. It presents with bone pain, fever, and swelling to the area. • Compartment syndrome: The tissues are compressed by the broken bone. This presents with increased pain to the area, pallor, and paresthesia. Necrosis can occur quickly in four to six hours. It can also cause contracture, infection, weakness, and renal failure. ©2017 Achieve Test Prep Page 131 of 204