Symptoms of a fracture

Bones not only support our body, but also have the function of movement and protection of our body. The health of bones will be affected by factors such as accidents. Many accidents will lead to fractures. Although fractures are not uncommon in our lives, many people still don’t know much about fractures. In this article, we will introduce some symptoms of fractures to you.

Because bones are covered by our flesh, it is not easy to detect fractures clearly. Timely detection and treatment of fractures are of great concern to the patient's recovery, so it is necessary for everyone to understand some symptoms of fractures.

Systemic symptoms of fracture : The body temperature of patients with fractures generally does not change. In those with severe injuries, the body temperature may rise due to hematoma absorption, but usually does not exceed 38°C. If the body temperature continues to rise for a long time and exceeds 38°C, it will be accompanied by headache, chills, general discomfort, local swelling, pain and fever. If the white blood cell count is elevated, infection should be considered. After a fracture, blood exchange and ventilation stagnate. Accompanied by symptoms such as thirst, bitter taste in the mouth, irritability, constipation, short and dark urine, and restless sleep. The pulse is often floating, rapid and tight, and the tongue coating is yellow or white. If there is excessive bleeding or the patient is physically weak, symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath, a strong or astringent pulse, and a pale red tongue may occur.

The local symptoms of fractures include :

First , local pain and tenderness. After a fracture, local tissue damage or partial muscle spasm may cause varying degrees of pain. There is obvious localized tenderness and longitudinal percussion pain at the fracture site, which is often one of the important bases for judging whether there is a fracture.

Second , local swelling, bruises and skin abrasions. After a fracture, local blood vessels are damaged, the collaterals are blocked, and swelling may occur. If there is a lot of bleeding at the fracture site and it overflows under the skin, it will form a spot. If the myofascia at the fracture site is intact and bleeding cannot overflow, or if the circulation is obstructed due to compression by the broken ends, the pressure in the myofascial area may continue to increase, affecting the perfusion of arterial blood, thereby causing muscle ischemia and hypoxia. In severe cases, it may lead to muscle necrosis and ischemic muscle contracture.

Third , local dysfunction. After a fracture, the internal support of the limb is damaged, the limb loses its proper leverage, and the pain causes muscle reflex spasm, which may partially limit or completely lose limb function. However, greenstick fractures and impacted fractures do not necessarily have obvious functional impairments, so careful examination is necessary to prevent missed diagnosis.

The above is an introduction to the symptoms of fractures. It is said that it takes a hundred days to heal a broken bone. Therefore, no matter where in our body the bone is fractured, we must go to a regular hospital for diagnosis and treatment in time to avoid delaying treatment and causing more serious consequences.