How to distinguish a bruise from a fracture, crack: signs, comparison. Can there be a fracture without pain?

In this topic we will talk about the distinguishing features of a bruise from a fracture or crack.

It is very easy to get injured, especially in winter, when treacherous ice “knocks down” at every corner. But even in warm weather, both adults and children can fall. In this case, you can simply hurt yourself, and sometimes you can get very serious injury. But a state of shock does not always allow us to look soberly at the state of things. Therefore, in this topic, on the eve of winter frosts, we want to find the answer to how to distinguish a bruise from other types of injuries.

How to distinguish a bruise from a fracture or crack by external signs?

Any disease or injury has its own characteristic symptoms, on the basis of which a diagnosis is made. But sometimes it is very difficult to distinguish a bruise from other injuries. Especially if you don't have x-ray vision. Therefore, we propose to study the external characteristic features of injuries that are common and similar only at first glance.

Important: You need to fall correctly! If you feel like you can’t keep your balance, group yourself. Let us remind you that for this you need to press your elbows as much as possible and hide your chin. Under no circumstances should you expose your arms or legs! In this case, it is better to fall on your side so as not to injure your face. Also, try to relax your muscles as much as possible, then the blow will not be so traumatic.

Main types
Although it is not always possible to get injured exclusively from a fall. You can hurt yourself or get a crack from a strong blow to an object. A fracture can occur when a heavy load falls. By the way, its weight is directly proportional to the integrity of the bone. With very strong impacts, it may be completely destroyed into small fragments.

But it is also worth noting that the path or method of injury will only suggest superficially. For example, if you hit your finger with a hammer, you will get a severe bruise. And if the hammer is also bulky, then a crack or even a fracture is possible.

Main features or how to distinguish a bruise?

A bruise is a closed injury to tissues or organs without compromising the integrity of the bone structure.
Usually accompanied by the following indicators: naturally, the person experiences pain. It depends entirely on the severity of the injury to soft and hard tissues and your personal endurance criterion. As a rule, after a day the pain decreases slightly and is not severe;
with a strong blow, complete numbness and disobedience of the affected parts of the body are possible. In this case, by the way, this already speaks for the rupture of elastic and muscle tissues;
can also give off the upper parts of the articular elements;
the hematoma can be quite rich in color and quite large in size if the vessels are very damaged. But she always goes in one direction ;
swelling occurs at the site of the bruise, which can be caused by the accumulation of fluid or bruising. It increases significantly in the first day, but after that, as a rule, it may subside a little. Especially if you hold the limb elevated or under a cold compress.

A distinctive feature is the ability to move limbs if they are injured, or other parts. Yes, it will hurt, but through effort it can be done.

Important: Swelling with a very severe bruise in some cases can last a relatively long time! Individual sensitivity and the ability to self-heal also influence.

Bruised leg with hematoma

What are the symptoms in case of a fracture?

They are very similar, but even these same signs are expressed in their own way. Additionally, there are additional differences worth noting.

a fracture generally is - this is the destruction of the integrity of bone tissue or periosteum, expressed in varying degrees and forms. It can be in closed and open form. That is, depending on the integrity of the skin - they remained intact or suffered, respectively.
With an open fracture, it immediately becomes clear what it is. After all, fragments or fragments of a solid organ can often stick out from the wound. In this case, severe deformation of any part of the body occurs. Often the very sight causes severe pain and even shock in the patient.

Computer model

With the closed form, things are a little more complicated, but still give in to distinctive symptoms. Depending on the degree, shape and magnitude of damage to bone tissue, various symptoms of a fracture appear: at the moment of a bone fracture, a person experiences piercing pain. But unlike a bruise, after some time it does not become smaller, on the contrary, it intensifies ;
swelling of surrounding tissues increases strongly and quickly;
As a rule, a hematoma appears at the fracture site, which also gradually becomes more noticeable. But, for example, in the shoulder or hip area, due to dense tissues, it may appear only after 2-3 days. In some types of fractures, when soft tissue is not affected, there may be no hematoma. But the main feature is that due to breaks in the integrity of the fibers and vessels, it can have subcutaneous bruises and occupy a large area ;
There is also a certain crunch at the core, which indicates a fracture of the bone flask.

A very important distinguishing characteristic is crepitus! That is, the ability to move and move normally is canceled. Let's take a closer look:

for example, if your arm is injured in the elbow area, you will not be able to move your fingers. And there can be no question of taking something;

if there is an injury to the lower leg or thigh, then, naturally, the person will no longer be able to stand on the entire limb;

The most dangerous thing is a fracture of the chest. Because normal inhalation has a sharp pulsating pain. But that's not all - the tip of the bone can also hit internal organs!

A good example

How to distinguish a bruise and fracture from a crack, how is it expressed?

There is also such a thing as a bone crack. But in essence, this is the same fracture, in which the integrity of the bone is not completely broken. The symptoms in this case are usually the same as with any similar injury - pain, swelling and hematoma at the site of injury.
This is the insidiousness of the crack! These symptoms can be similar in nature to both a bruise and a fracture. But there is a little hint - the pain from the crack will not subside until you undergo treatment.
The nature of the unpleasant sensations can be dull, pulsating, or even very sharp. Especially if there is a load on this place. But in a state of rest, worries may be completely absent! For example, the knee hurts when walking (by the way, the kneecap is very susceptible to cracks), and when breathing the patient tries not to take deep breaths.

However, even minor swelling or bruising can persist for a long time. But the nature of the signs is more similar to a bruise. Since there is no fracture damage to soft tissues, blood vessels or capillaries.

Visual picture

Rehabilitation after plaster removal

When the hand is completely healed, the plaster is removed. After plaster, the brush will look exhausted and lifeless. It will take time to recover. Rehabilitation after plaster removal involves:

Massage course. It helps restore blood circulation and lymph flow. The procedures last 2 weeks.
Physiotherapy: magnetic therapy, mud therapy, paraffin baths, electrophoresis with various applications. The doctor decides how many days the treatment will take based on personal parameters.
Physiotherapy. It takes place in two stages. At the first stage, muscles and ligaments are stretched, at the second stage, joint mobility is restored.

All these procedures are performed in the clinic under the guidance of specialists in various fields. The rehabilitation period takes up to 2 months.

Can a fracture occur without pain?

The answer is a resounding yes! There are forms of fractures in which pain symptoms and dysfunction are not very pronounced or mild.

For example, when one bone fits into the cavity of another solid organ. By the way, the hematoma may be internal, and the swelling will not be so pronounced.
Or with a fracture of the fibula or metatarsal bone.

Important: A surge of adrenaline or a state of shock can drown out the pain from a fracture. Therefore, she will not have such a harsh and intolerant character.

But it is also worth paying attention to the following characteristic symptoms:

the lower extremity with such a serious injury can suggest using the “stuck heel” effect. That is, when a person, lying on his back, cannot lift his leg or simply tear it off the surface;
when bone fragments are displaced, which often happens on the extremities (but other parts of the body are not immune from this), the fracture will be visible to the naked eye. Due to bone deformation at the junction of the injury, the limb may appear shortened or, conversely, elongated compared to the healthy part. You can also observe a picture with a piece of debris protruding;
When you feel the damaged limb, if there is no pinching of the muscles between the fragments, you can easily feel their crunch.

Protrusion of debris

Important: If there is any suspicion of a fracture, the limb must be tightly fixed until medical assistance is provided, so as not to displace even more fragments and damage the nerve endings and blood vessels.

By the way, you can read how to provide first aid to an adult in various dangerous situations, including a fracture, in our article on the topic “Procedures and rules for administering first aid.”

Rehabilitation before plaster removal

In the absence of complications, rehabilitation begins in the first days after applying the plaster. It consists of simple exercises:

flexion and extension of fingers;
clenching into a fist;
formation of a ring involving the thumb and others.

A ring is formed alternately with each of the fingers. A good exercise is a children's game of creating shadow pictures with your fingers. Figures may be different. The main thing is to move your fingers. The patient does these exercises at home himself.

How to distinguish a bruise, fracture, crack: comparison

We have already decided on the external symptoms: swelling and hematomas of significant size and in the first seconds are characteristic of a fracture. With cracks or severe bruises, they may go away over time and cover a smaller scale. Since there is no vascular damage;
In case of a fracture, it is impossible to move the entire affected limb or part of the body. A bruise and a crack give us the opportunity, albeit through painful discomfort, to move and breathe ;
Well, as an additional feature, deformation is visually visible in the event of a dangerous injury;
pain is a slightly dubious indicator, so you only need to focus on it very carefully. In general, a fracture is characterized by sharp, piercing and prolonged pain. The bruise has a weaker degree. And a crack doesn’t hurt so much, it torments for a long time under any load.

Axial pain will help resolve the issue

But one difference is very important, which will help with diagnostics - axial load. That is, an experienced person with medical education will apply slight pressure along the bone. If there is a fracture, the pain will still be very intense in the sore spot and adjacent areas. But with a severe bruise, such piercing pain is not felt. A little advice for highly impressionable people and especially mothers - you can do this yourself if there are no obvious symptoms of a fracture. That is, lightly tap the knuckle of your finger or the pads along the affected area, but only a little higher or lower. In the absence of severe pain, this will indicate a bruise.

Important: But it is imperative to show the victim to a doctor! He can make an accurate diagnosis only through examination and x-rays in order to prescribe the correct treatment. After all, you shouldn’t rely only on external signs.

And as we have discussed, they have their own characteristics. Yes, their symptoms are very similar, but they should be expressed differently, with different scales and degrees. Although it can be very intertwined with related indicators.

First aid

The course and duration of future treatment depends on the provision of first aid. But often people simply don’t know what to do to help their loved ones in a critical situation. Simple steps will help alleviate the condition of the victim and the progress of treatment:

If the fracture is open, then the first step is to stop the bleeding. To do this, a tourniquet is applied 15 cm above the injury site. In the absence of a medical tourniquet, the veins are tied with a belt or twine. The damaged area is disinfected and a clean bandage is applied.
The injured hand must be fixed in a stable position. You can make an improvised tire from planks or other improvised means. They are taped to the injured limb with clean gauze.
In case of severe pain, the victim is given painkillers: analgin, baralgin. As a sedative, you should take motherwort or valerian.
The patient should be taken to the emergency room as soon as possible.

For any violation of bone integrity, qualified assistance and correct diagnosis are required. At the emergency room, a traumatologist will take an x-ray and determine the severity of the injury. A plaster cast will also be applied there.

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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Dear readers of the 1MedHelp website, if you still have questions on this topic, we will be happy to answer them. Leave your reviews, comments, share stories of how you experienced a similar trauma and successfully dealt with the consequences! Your life experience may be useful to other readers.

Brush development

The purpose of developing the hand after injury is to restore lost functions. Exercises for recovery will be recommended by a physical therapy instructor. A good way to develop a hand is with available tools available in every home. This:

phone disk,
rolling pin for rolling out dough,
computer keyboard and other everyday items.

This kind of gymnastics is called mechanotherapy. Simple actions help to restore lost functions.

Sprain treatment

How to distinguish a fracture from a sprain? To do this, you need to compare the symptoms and the nature of the damage and undergo x-rays. If an ankle sprain has been diagnosed, the following measures are prescribed to treat the injury:

Reduce or remove the load from the injured limb. To do this, a cane or crutch can be used as a support when walking.
Cooling with ice or a cold towel is necessary in the first few hours after a limb injury. As the towel warms up, you need to replace it, and apply ice at intervals of 10 minutes so as not to aggravate the situation with frostbite.
Applying a tight elastic bandage that starts from the fingers and ends at the level of the middle of the calf.
Doctors also often prescribe painkillers to relieve pain and ointments that relieve swelling and speed up healing.

In some cases, surgical treatment may be necessary. It is prescribed for ligament rupture and is necessary to restore the musculoskeletal function of the limb.

Diagnostics

After the victim is taken to a medical facility, it is necessary to distinguish a fracture from a sprain. How to do it? It is recommended to consult a traumatologist; he will collect information about the symptoms, as well as the situation in which the injury was received. After examining and palpating the affected limb, X-rays must be taken. They are performed in two projections: lateral and direct. In some cases, a CT scan may be required. Based on the information obtained as a result of the diagnosis, the correct treatment is prescribed.

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.