Fractures Specialist

What are fractures?

Fractures are breaks in your bones. Healthy bones are strong and slightly flexible, so they can withstand a great deal of pressure. However, any bones can fracture under enough stress.

Some common types of fractures include:

Stable fractures

Stable fractures are clean breaks where the ends of your bones stay in alignment.

Compound fractures

Compound (open) fractures are particularly painful injuries where the broken bone protrudes through your skin. Compound fractures are also prone to infection.

Comminuted fractures

Comminuted fractures are breaks that leave the bone in several pieces. Sometimes the bone can shatter, creating multiple bone fragments — this is often what happens with crush injuries.

Stress fractures

Whereas most fractures are acute injuries, stress fractures are chronic. They develop over time as tiny cracks appear in the bone and multiply, typically as a result of overuse or repetitive strain.

What bones are most likely to fracture?

Any of your bones might fracture if it comes under enough pressure. However, some of the more common fractures seen by the team at SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER ORTHOPEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE are:

• Clavicle (collarbone) fractures
• Mid-humeral (upper arm) fractures  
• Elbow fractures  
• Forearm fractures in children
• Metacarpal (hand) fractures 
• Scaphoid (wrist) fractures  
• Femoral neck (upper thigh) fractures
• Subtrochanteric hip fractures 
• Fractures of the patella (kneecap)
• Ankle fractures 
• Fractures of the tibia (lower leg)
• Scapula (shoulder blade) fractures

Most fractures cause immediate pain and require urgent attention. 

To confirm your fracture, your provider at SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER ORTHOPEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE examines X-rays of the painful area. They can also use the X-rays to establish the severity of the damage, so you get the most appropriate fracture care.

What kind of fracture care would I need?

The treatment you need for your fracture depends on the nature of the break and factors like your age and comorbidities (other health problems you might have) like osteoporosis.

A stable fracture where the bones are still in position might only need a cast to protect the injury while your bones heal. A clean break where the bones are out of position might be treatable using closed reduction — manipulation of the bones into alignment by hand before applying a cast.

If you have a more serious injury like a compound fracture, it's likely to need open reduction surgery to repair the damaged bones and soft tissues. Your surgeon might use fixtures like screws, pins, and plates to mend badly broken bones. A fracture in a joint that is not repairable in other ways might require joint replacement surgery.

If you have a fracture, make sure it heals properly by receiving treatment from SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER ORTHOPEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE. Call their office today, or book an appointment online.