Broken Bones

Millions of people suffer broken bones each year. While this is a common injury, it is still a painful one that can cause significant harm and complications. 

If you think you’ve broken a bone, it’s important that you seek medical attention and have a realistic outlook on the healing process. 

What Are the Common Causes of Broken Bones?

What Are the Common Causes of Broken Bones?

Bones break when the force exerted against them is stronger than the bones can bear. This injury can happen due to various medical conditions, such as osteoporosis or repetitive forces like running. 

However, the most common cause of bone breaks is trauma, such as those occurring in:

If you suspect that you may have broken a bone, seek immediate medical treatment. 

How Are Broken Bones Diagnosed? 

Diagnosing a broken bone requires a medical evaluation, which usually occurs after someone is taken to the doctor or a hospital after a traumatic event or experiencing symptoms of a fracture. 

Symptoms of broken bones include:

  • Pain
  • Swelling and tenderness around the injury
  • Bruising or discoloration
  • Inability to move a part of the body
  • A deformity, such as a limb out of place or a part of the bone that punctures the skin

Doctors complete a physical exam and imaging tests to confirm whether a bone is broken. 

Tests that healthcare providers may use to confirm a bone break include:

  • X-rays
  • MRIs
  • CT scans
  • Bone scans

The specific test the doctor will use depends on where the bone is located in the body and the suspected harm to other body parts. 

What Types of Medical Treatment Are Available for Broken Bones?

The specific medical treatment you will undergo depends on the location of the bone break, its severity, whether it is causing injury to other parts of the body, and your overall health. 

Medical treatment for broken bones may include:

  • Immobilization – The first step medical providers may take to diagnose and treat a broken bone is to immobilize the affected area of the body. Continuing to move the body part can cause irreparable damage, so a doctor will try to stabilize it. They may use a splint or cast. 
  • Realignment – More severe breaks may require a medical professional to realign the bone in the position it was in before the break. This requires a non-surgical procedure in which a doctor physically pushes and pulls body parts.
  • Surgery – Some bone breaks require surgery. A surgeon may realign bones to the correct position and secure them so that they grow back together, potentially using pieces of metal to keep them together. Depending on the break, the surgeon may connect the broken bones to a brace or bracket to stabilize the fracture. If the body part that is broken is a joint, such as a shoulder or knee, the surgeon may perform a joint replacement in which they use an artificial joint and remove the broken one. 
  • Bone grafting – If a fracture is severely displaced or is not healing back together, healthcare professionals sometimes perform bone grafting. This medical procedure involves inserting additional tissue to rejoin the broken bone to the rest of the skeleton.
  • Medication – Patients undergoing these procedures may be given local anesthetics, sedatives, general anesthesia, anti-inflammatory drugs, or other medicines.

You can include the costs for all of these related medical expenses in any personal injury claim you may file.

What Are the Possible Complications of Broken Bones?

Possible complications of broken bones and the related medical procedures to treat them include:

  • Blood loss if you lose a lot of blood at the time of the injury due to the break
  • Infection if foreign materials seep into an open wound
  • Mobility problems while the bone is recovering or from poor alignment of the limb
  • Stunted growth if the victim is a child 
  • Injuries to surrounding organs or tissues, including to nerves, blood vessels, ligaments, muscles, or tendons
  • Acute compartment syndrome, a medical condition in which muscles stop blood from reaching tissue because of a build-up of pressure, which can result in permanent muscle and nerve damage

Your healthcare team will discuss possible complications with you and how to reduce their occurrence. 

How Can a Broken Bone Affect Your Life?

While broken bones are one of the most common injuries that accident victims suffer, each bone break and victim is unique. Bone fractures can affect people in different ways and have a lasting impact on survivors. 

Some of these effects may include:

  • Loss of mobility – A broken bone, such as a leg or a hip, may cause a person to be unable to walk. Their daily life can be disrupted, causing them to have to stay home and rely on others to take care of basic needs.
  • Job loss – Some broken bones can cause a person to lose their job. They may miss months of work while they are recovering. 
  • Ongoing pain – Bone breaks can cause ongoing pain, even after the bone is realigned or the cast is removed. Dealing with this on an ongoing basis can be a painful reminder of the traumatic event that caused the break. 
  • Deformity – Broken bones can sometimes cause deformities, discoloration, or other unsightly appearances, causing victims to feel self-conscious or be less socially active. 
  • Long-term health complications – The broken bone and resulting sedentary lifestyle may cause long-term health issues. 
  • Loss of enjoyment of life – It may take months or longer to regain strength in the affected area, so victims may not be able to participate in favorite pastimes. 
  • Financial setbacks – Having a broken bone can result in significant financial losses, including medical expenses and lost wages. 

If someone else caused your broken bone injuries, you can pursue compensation for these losses through a personal injury case. Let our experienced legal team guide you through the process.

If you suffered a broken bone because of someone else’s negligence, you should not have to pay the consequences. An experienced Rock Hill personal injury lawyer can review your case, identify all at-fault parties, and pursue maximum compensation for your injuries. Contact Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys today to schedule a free consultation.