Broken bones sit in a unique place as among the most common, and most serious injuries you’re likely to encounter. No matter how serious, a quick response always has a profound impact and gives the person the best possible chance at a fast recovery. Being able to deliver an informed, calm response puts you in a position to help when someone most needs it.
How to Tell If a Bone Is Broken: Symptoms of a Fracture
With so many bones in your body and so many ways to break them, it shouldn’t be a surprise that broken bones can look remarkably different. Some fractures might be obvious, others might be more subtle and look more like a bruise. Following a serious injury like a fall or a sudden impact, these are the signs you should look for:
Pain or numbness at the site of injury, especially when pressure is applied or the person tries to move that body part
Swelling and bruising are likely to appear around the area. These are common to other injuries and so a broken bone is more likely when this is accompanied by other symptoms.
Deformity, such as a limb sitting at an unnatural angle or bone visibly sticking out through the skin.
Inability to move the affected area, or movement that causes sharp pain.
An audible crack or snap at the moment of injury.
You’ll need an x-ray for an official diagnosis. In the meantime, treat any suspected fracture as a confirmed broken bone.
Types of Fractures
A fracture is just the formal word for a broken bone. Fractures can occur in any bone, and the type affects both the severity of the injury and how it is treated. These include:
Simple fracture. The bone breaks but the skin remains intact. This is also called a closed fracture and is among the most common types.
Open fracture. The broken bone pierces through the skin, or a wound exposes the bone. Open fractures, also called compound fractures, carry a high risk of infection and require emergency treatment.
Greenstick fracture. The bone bends and cracks on one side, while the other part of the bone remains intact, leaving it partially fractured rather than broken through. Greenstick fractures are most common in children, whose bones are more flexible.
Stress fracture. A small crack that develops in the bone when repetitive force is applied without adequate rest. Stress fractures are common in the feet and lower legs and can result from a sharp increase in training.
Avulsion fracture. A small piece of bone is pulled away from the main bone when a tendon or ligament pulls sharply from its attachment point. Avulsion fractures occur most often in the ankle, knee, or hip.
Comminuted fracture. The bone shatters into three or more bone fragments. Comminuted fractures can result from high-impact trauma.
Immediate First Aid for a Bone Fracture
The goal of broken bones first aid is stabilisation to keep the injury immobilised until you can get the person to professional care.
If the injury is an open fracture, you’ll need to take a few extra steps before starting. Cover the exposed bone loosely with a clean cloth or a sterile dressing, and do not try and push the bone back in place. The rest of the steps remain the same:
1. Call 000. Contact emergency services immediately. If you cannot call, direct someone nearby to do so while you stay with the injured person.
2. Keep the person still. Ask the injured person not to move the affected limb or area.
3. Support the injury. Place padding around either side of the fractured bone. Use rolled-up clothing, a folded jacket, or anything else soft that can hold the bone in position without pressing on it.
4. Apply a splint. A splint holds the injured limb in place and helps keep it immobilised.
– Find a rigid object longer than the injured limb, such as a stick, or a rolled magazine.
– Position it along the length of the limb.
– Secure it with bandages, strips of cloth, or anything similar, tied above and below the fracture site. Do not tie anything directly over the fracture.
– The ties should be firm enough to stop the limb from moving but loose enough to slide a finger underneath.
5. Check circulation. Press down just below the injury then release. The colour should return to the skin within two seconds. If the spot you pressed stays white, if the skin below the splint appears blue, or if the person reports numbness or increasing tingling, loosen the ties immediately.
6. Monitor for signs of shock. The injured person may feel faint, look pale, or break into a sweat. Lay them down, elevate their legs slightly (provided the legs are not injured), and cover them with a jacket or blanket to keep them warm.
What Not to Do
While you already know not to try and reinsert a protruding bone or to move the person, there are some other things you need to know not to do. These include some common myths.
Do not remove embedded objects. If an object is lodged in a wound near a fracture, do not remove it as this can increase bleeding and damage surrounding tissue.
Do not give food or water. Fractures may need surgery, and eating or drinking beforehand increases the risk of complications.
Do not apply heat. Do not apply a heat pack to the injury.
Do not ignore an injury that doesn’t appear serious. Even if the person looks okay, treat all injuries as serious until you can get the person properly assessed by a medical professional. Even a person who seems fine and can move around might be pushing through the pain.
Be Ready to Treat Broken Bones with First Aid Training
When someone breaks a bone, they need more than just time to heal. They need quick action to keep the injured area safe until they can get help. Slow or incorrect action means the bone will take longer to heal at best, or can make the injury even worse. By taking a first aid course you can learn exactly what to do for broken bones, and an injured person’s bone can heal well and restore normal use faster. With how common these injuries are, broken bone first aid might just be the most useful skill you’ve never learnt.
FAQs
When Should I Go to the Emergency Department?
While all broken bones should be inspected in a hospital, go to the emergency department immediately for open fractures, if the injured area is severely deformed, or if the injury involves the head, neck, spine, or pelvis, or if the injured person shows signs of shock.
How Does Osteoporosis Affect Fractures?
Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens bones and makes them more likely to break. It occurs when the body loses bone density faster than it can replace it, leaving bones more fragile. Because of this, people with osteoporosis can suffer fractures from relatively minor incidents, such as a small fall or even a sudden twist.
Should I Use Ice on a Fracture?
Using ice on injuries is no longer recommended. While it helps numb pain, it also lowers swelling and inflammation which are parts of the body’s natural healing process, which slows healing in turn. You can use ice wrapped in cloth for serious injuries or to ease extreme pain, but be aware of the trade off.
