Nursing 213

N213: Health Differences Across the Lifespan 3 Study Guide

3.2 Injuries Causing Musculoskeletal Dysfunction Soft Tissues Injuries and Fractures Soft tissue injuries and fractures are caused by injuries to the body from accidents, assault, car accidents, falls, and incidents that cause breaks in the skin. Tissues and bones provide support for the internal organs and protect them. Bones themselves store calcium, allow movement of body parts, and assist with forming blood cells. Muscles and soft tissue protect the bones, give them movement, and store fat and nutrients. Injuries to the soft tissues can affect strength, function, and structure. 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

©2018

Achieve

Page 130

of 203