What is worse - a broken or cracked bone, what is common between them and what is the difference

Often, after a strong impact with a bone on a hard surface, a sharp pain is felt at the site of impact, and the bone begins to “burn.” This is a sign that the integrity of the bone has been compromised and a crack or even a fracture has appeared in it. This is an everyday situation, and anyone can find themselves in it.

Therefore, it doesn’t hurt to know what is worse - a crack or a fracture, and how to distinguish them by external signs. Perhaps one day this knowledge will help you protect yourself or your friends from the unpleasant responsibility of becoming a wearer of plaster for a long time.

Causes of injury

The reason for deformation of bone structures and compression of soft tissues can be the same impact.
A leg fracture, like a bruise of the lower limb, is caused by a fall, a direct blow, or during an accident. A bruise or fracture may be the result of unsuccessful sports training. Often leg injuries complement each other: a crack, dislocation, ligament rupture, extensive bruise - all this occurs simultaneously under intense mechanical stress. Foot injuries are always more difficult to diagnose. If a person steps on his foot unsuccessfully, then it seems that there should not be a fracture of the foot, but this does not exclude the appearance of cracks. Similar disturbances are caused by heavy objects falling from above. You can injure your finger while walking - by tripping over a stone or other object.

Bruises on a finger can be caused by being hit with an edge or falling onto an outstretched palm. If the bones are not strong, then the same reason will provoke splinter deformation or dislocation.

The main causes of cracks in bones

They get cracked in various situations - in an accident, during domestic or industrial injuries, in a fight, in a fall.

Risk factors include:

• intensive training with weight lifting,
• injuries while working out in the gym,
• uncomfortable shoes,
• poor quality sports equipment,
• decreased bone density,
• obesity or anorexia,
• deficiency of minerals, including calcium,
• thyroid diseases,
• long-term treatment with hormonal drugs, taking anabolic steroids,
• irregular cycle in women, menopause.

Cracks in bones form as a result of direct impact - a blow, an unsuccessful fall. The tissue does not have enough strength to withstand the force, but the supporting function of the bone remains. With fractures, on the contrary, the fragments are displaced. One or more cracks may appear on one skeletal element, which form oblique, straight or spiral lines.

First aid

When providing first aid, it is necessary to remember the danger of an open fracture, in which various types of infection enter the wound openings. To alleviate the condition, stop bleeding in case of a displaced finger fracture and prevent complications, disinfecting manipulations with antiseptics are carried out with the application of sterile bandages.

For proper fixation, use a splint for a fracture and call emergency assistance. The tire can be replaced with various modern alternatives, shown in the photo below.

It is believed that if a bone injury occurs, it is not necessary to seek medical attention, but this is not true. A broken finger is no joke because:

1. The pain from a fracture is often compared to a toothache.
2. A state of shock after a fracture can provoke a sharp drop in pressure, down to the lowest levels.
3. Internal disruption of blood flow is considered dangerous.
4. Rarely, severe damage to blood vessels with profuse bleeding occurs, which only specialists can stop.
5. Only people with special training can tell you how to apply a transport splint.

First aid for bone cracks

First aid for suspected cracks includes the following steps:

• applying a cold compress or ice to relieve the victim’s condition before the medical team arrives,
• ensuring complete rest, eliminating physical activity,
• fixation of the injured limb in a medical facility (with a plaster splint for a fracture of the tibia or radius, an elastic bandage for damaged ribs),
• taking oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics.

If you suspect a crack, you should not:

• use external rubbing agents,
• move, cough, fall on one side if the ribs are damaged.

How to distinguish a bruise from a fracture

Traumatologists distinguish various degrees of bruises. A slight bruise is easily diagnosed. At this degree, the damage passes quickly and bears little resemblance to a bone fracture. In more complex cases, making a diagnosis is problematic.

Behind the swelling, diffuse hematoma and pain, it is not possible to recognize a crack or crushed bones if the deformation is not visible to the naked eye. Some bruises are so painful that they are more severe than a fracture, but are treated quite easily. In terms of the degree of pain subsiding, bruises are superior to other injuries. However, much is determined by the location of the damage.

How to distinguish a fracture from a bruise when it comes to a toe? The injured finger moves poorly, turns blue and hurts in both cases. However, deformities occur only when bone structures are damaged, less often when ligaments are dislocated or sprained. It is more difficult to say how to distinguish a bruise from a fracture when the foot is struck. If the bone is damaged, it is impossible to step on the foot; with an ordinary bruise, the victim can step on, even though it hurts.

Signs of a fracture

At first glance, the manifestations of the injuries are similar, but when the bone is destroyed, the signs do not go away within a few days. In this case, the symptoms include:

• movement in the affected area is limited;
• the pain is especially strong at the moment of bone destruction, in a passive state it is tolerable, but the sensations intensify when trying to move;
• the hematoma spreads, swelling appears;
• when palpating or moving, a characteristic crunch is heard;
• due to displacement of fragments, visual deformations are detected;
• When leaning on the injured limb, sharp pain occurs.

A heel bruise is considered quite painful, and the bones are rarely damaged, but a blow to the toes more often provokes cracks and dislocations.

A clear symptom of a fracture or crack in the arm is the inability to hold weight on an outstretched arm. Interestingly, severe hematomas and bruises may be absent.

What is a fracture?

A fracture is a violation of the integrity of a bone, which is caused by mechanical action or a pathological process in the body. Due to the huge variety of types of bones in the human body, there are many types of bone fractures (see rib fracture).

Types of fractures:

Signs of a fracture

• Pain
• Unnatural limb position
• Abnormal mobility (limb may be slightly bent in an area where there is no joint)
• Visible bone fragments in a wound with an open fracture
• Crepitation (crunching) of small fragments when pressing on a sore spot (this symptom distinguishes fractures from sprains or bruises)
• Swelling in the area of ​​injury
• Hemorrhage and hematoma
• Symptom of axial load (increased pain at the fracture site when tapping along the axis of the limb - for example, pain in the heel when the bones of the leg are fractured)

Treatment of fractures

Fractures are often accompanied by other injuries, skin wounds and bleeding. Therefore, the most important thing is to provide first aid before the doctors arrive. In this case, there is no point in wondering whether a fracture or dislocation caused the pain. First aid will be the same.

First aid:

• If there is bleeding, stop it using one of the following methods: pressing a vessel visible in the wound
• apply a pressure bandage
• apply a tourniquet in case of severe bleeding (indicate the time in the note, keep it for no more than 1-1.5 hours)

• Cover the wound with a clean, or better yet, sterile material.
• Administer painkillers
• Ensure the immobility of the broken part of the body (using splints, fixing the joints located adjacent to the fracture site)
• Apply cold to the injury site
• If the fracture is closed, then you need to start with pain relief

Health care

• Pain relief (often novocaine blockades)
• Comparison of bone fragments and their fixation conservatively (plaster casts, skeletal traction)
• surgically (manually or using special devices, internal or external osteosynthesis)

• Antibiotic therapy (for open fractures and after operations)
• Physiotherapy during the recovery period
• Physiotherapy

What is the difference between a crack and a fracture

Complete disruption of the bone at the site of injury is diagnosed as a fracture. Partial disruption of the bone is usually called a crack. This popular name quite accurately and understandably conveys the essence of the injury to the average person.

When a bone is cracked, the injured limb can be moved, although every movement is accompanied by pain. The pain can range from moderate to very severe, depending on the severity of the bone damage.

Many, even when faced with such an injury, underestimate its danger and do not rush to see a doctor, acting on the principle that it will go away on its own. It is worth reminding such daredevils that official medicine does not know the concept of “bone crack”, and traumatologists diagnose such injuries as “partial bone fracture.”

Signs of bruise

When a bruise occurs, the pain can be very strong, while only soft tissues are injured, their integrity is preserved. The closer the place of impact is to the accumulation of nerve endings, the more painful the pain. Limb bruises are common injuries. If a toe or hand turns blue, this indicates capillary damage. The risk of bone fractures is high, so differential diagnosis is carried out.

When a finger is pinched, the bone tissue may be crushed, but it is protected by the nail plate. If it is destroyed or removed, which happens with serious damage, deformation of solid structures is suspected.

Also dangerous symptoms are pain in the joints and joints. If you have back pain after a blow, it is better to consult a doctor immediately to avoid dangerous complications. The same applies to bruises of the head and chest.

As for the classic manifestations of a bruise, these are:

The next symptoms are temporary stiffness, numbness or tingling, and local hyperemia.

Bone damage in children

In young children under one year of age, linear fractures or cracks of the cranial vault, namely the parietal, frontal, temporal and occipital bones, are often diagnosed. They often pass through several areas at the same time. Against this background, vascular damage occurs and hematomas form.

Due to the elasticity of bones, children, especially infants, often develop depressed fractures that reach the base of the skull. Such injuries require immediate hospitalization. Otherwise, the consequences will be disastrous - bone fragments will touch the cerebral cortex or blood vessels.

Cracks in other parts of the skeleton of children resemble a break in a green tree branch, while the periosteum remains intact. In such cases, the process of tissue fusion occurs quickly. Children under three years of age must be under the constant supervision of their parents. It is at this age that little fidgets receive the greatest number of injuries associated with bone tissue.

General and distinctive features of various types of finger injuries

Before distinguishing a severe bruise from a broken finger, it is worth paying attention to the general symptomatic manifestations that are characteristic of all possible types of finger injuries.

In this case we are talking about:

• severe painful sensations;
• feeling of heaviness of movement;
• localized redness at the site of the blow received.

Characteristics of a damaged finger

In order to understand how to distinguish a finger bruise from a fracture, you should pay attention to the fact that a fracture is a violation of the integral structure of bone tissue or periosteum.

At the same time, a bruise is defined in modern medicine as a relative injury to soft tissues that are localized in the area of ​​the struck finger (this can include skin tissue, subcutaneous tissue and muscles). Thus, the main distinguishing feature is related to the visibility of the violation that has occurred: from the visual side, the integrity of both the skin and the phalangeal bone itself remains normal.

It should be noted that fractures are found to be marginal, transversely serrated, helical without the presence of displaced fragments, and also open. Naturally, the task of distinguishing a bruised toe from a fracture becomes more difficult, since most often a closed fracture can be mistaken for a bruise, when fragments of the damaged bone remain undisplaced.

Main characteristics for distinguishing a bruise from a violation of the integrity of the phalangeal bone

Speaking about the pronounced symptoms of impaired integrity of the bone of the leg or arm in the area of ​​the struck finger, it must be emphasized that it is distinguished by the presence of:

• intense pain that does not subside not only immediately after the blow, but also after several hours;
• constant increasing swelling and the formation of pronounced bruises (hematomas), although in isolated cases swelling may be completely absent;
• increased pain when trying to move the injured limb;
• in the presence of displaced bone elements, the damaged finger remains in a deformed state (shortened or elongated), which indicates a fracture has occurred;
• pathological mobility and crepitus, which make it possible to understand how to identify a fracture or bruise of a toe, increasing the risk of damage to neighboring vessels and nerves;
• bleeding, which is typical for open types of broken bone integrity;
• the presence of a symptom of axial load, when when knocking on places above the injury, the pain in the area of ​​the blow received increases significantly.

Formation of hematomas as the main symptom of a finger bruise

In order to learn how to identify a bruise or fracture of a finger, it is necessary to take into account the characteristic features of the bruise, which are not too numerous.

In this case it is:

1. Pain that becomes less severe a few hours after the blow is received.
2. Swelling, which has the ability to increase, but can decrease with an elevated position of the limb.
3. Impaired mobility of joints adjacent to the site of impact, which is caused by swelling and pain.

Basically, the diagnosis of the injury consists of studying the symptomatic characteristics and subsequent X-ray examination. Despite this, even without X-ray confirmation, a doctor, as well as a non-specialist in this field, is able to establish a preliminary diagnosis.

Thanks to the following table, you can accurately understand the difference between a broken finger and a bruise:

Thus, in order to first determine the type of injury to a toe or hand, it is necessary to pay attention to the nature of the pain, the presence of swelling, localized bruising, as well as the ability of the victim to move the injured upper or lower limb.

Despite this, only a qualified specialist can accurately determine the nature of the damage that has occurred. Currently, this can be done using various additional diagnostic methods, among which radiography and computed tomography are most often used.

The use of these diagnostic procedures provides the opportunity to study all the anatomical features of the resulting injury (presence of injured neighboring vessels and tissues, displaced fragments of the phalanx bone of the struck finger).

Treatment methods

After discovering a crack in the femur, experts recommend starting treatment immediately so that the tissues heal in the correct position. The victim is taken to the hospital to prevent complications from developing.

It is important to respond to the symptoms in time and begin professional treatment for a crack in the bone of the hand. In the hospital, the traumatologist applies a plaster splint, which will fix the limb for the entire recovery period.

Treatment methods for bone tissue damage are based on conservative therapy using NSAIDs and other drugs with anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, in practice, elastic bandaging or immobilization of limbs is often used.

If a fracture of the radius or any other part of the skeleton is left without treatment, the situation will worsen until a complete fracture with displacement of fragments, which threatens disability for a long time. Hematomas at the site of injury will fester, and this is a direct path to gangrene and loss of a limb. Any injury, even one that seems minor, requires the attention of a specialist.

Advice. Experts recommend consuming foods containing calcium and natural collagen for two weeks after injury.

How long does it take for a bone crack to heal? The time frame depends on the nature of the damage, the age of the patient and averages 4-6 weeks. It will take 4 to 6 months for complete recovery.

Which doctor should I contact?

When is it necessary to go to the hospital? If the impact site is swollen, painful and throbbing, or there are additional symptoms, call an ambulance. A traumatologist can diagnose a fracture or bruise. You can make an appointment with a surgeon at your place of residence. A specialist will select the optimal treatment, but you must contact immediately after the injury. If the nail plate on a finger is destroyed, it is recommended to remove it.

Help with injury will be provided by cold compresses on the first day, and warming ones after the second day. They are made using pharmaceutical preparations and traditional medicine recipes (more information about compresses is described here). In the presence of abrasions and wounds after injury, soft bandages are provided. They are changed until they heal. The procedure can be performed at home.

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