Comminuted fracture treatment is a challenging task because of the complications associated with it. Read this article to gather valuable information about the treatment options available for this condition.

Comminuted fracture is a very serious case of fractured bones. In this condition, the affected bone is broken into three or more pieces. For this reason, it is often termed as a multi-fragmentary fracture. It can be either open or closed. In the closed type, the skin is not broken; in the open type, the skin breaks and the bone protrudes out. In this case, the comminuted fracture treatment is more difficult, as it is prone to infections.

Causes

A comminuted fracture results from crushing of any part of a bone. It is quite common among the elderly, as their bones become weak due to aging. People who are suffering from health problems, like cancer, osteogenesis imperfecta, etc., have weakened bones that result in this state. One can get also get this condition if the bone is hit with enormous force, which often results from accidents or a fall from a height.

Symptoms

The typical symptom is an unbearable pain at the site of injury. It starts as soon as one sustains the injury. The pain is accompanied by swelling and discoloration of the affected area. It becomes warm and tender to touch. One cannot bear any amount of weight in that area, as one experiences excessive pain.

Treatment

Medication

The diagnosis of this condition is based upon the physical examinations of the injury site and medical history of the patient. For a more detailed investigation, laboratory tests, like X-ray and CT scan are conducted. Initially, pain-relieving medicines are given to provide temporary relief from the excruciating pain and ice is applied after a gap of an hour or so. Sometimes, tractions is applied where a gentle, pulling action helps to align the bones.

Splint

Our body has its own natural mechanism to heal up the fracture sustained by a bone. Therefore, the main aim of the treatment is to restore the normal position of the broken pieces of bones so that it can carry out its usual functions after healing. For this purpose, the fragmented parts of the bone are aligned with a technique known as reduction. Then the affected part has to be kept in an immobilized state with the help of a plaster, or a fiberglass splint. In an impacted fracture treatment, where the broken pieces of bones tend to wedge into each other, surgical nails, screws, plates, and wires are being used in order to maintain the fragments in their original position. This method is also known as open reduction.

Surgery

When all these treatment options fail to show any result, then more invasive forms of surgery is conducted. Like in a compression fracture, where the vertebrae get broken, these conservative methods of treatment often fails to show any result. For this reason, the treatment involves a unique procedure known as vertebroplasty in order to provide stability to the spinal column. Here, a special kind of cement is injected into the vertebrae through a needle that helps to fix the broken bones.

Treatment usually continues for a long period of time, as the broken bones take a lot of time to heal up. One has to visit the doctor regularly for a check up and to ensure that the pieces of bone are set in their proper position. Usually, the healing time could be several months. Sometimes, physical therapy is recommended for a faster recovery.

Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.