Three or more pieces of bone form a comminuted fracture. For these fractures, surgery and prolonged healing times are normal. A comminuted fracture and its sequelae typically require surgery. Doctors may use rods and screws to attach bone parts. These bones are retained for always.
What Causes Comminuted Fractures?
Trauma causes comminuted fractures. Car accidents and falls from ladders or roofs are common causes. Any bone impact can induce a fracture. Slips, falls, and other frequent bone breaks rarely cause this type of fracture.
How are Comminuted Fractures Diagnosed?
Health professionals use physical exams and imaging to detect comminuted fractures. If you’ve been admitted for trauma, the emergency room may perform this.
In an ER, a team will stabilize you and treat your injuries in order of severity, especially life-threatening ones. After stabilization, imaging tests confirm the fracture.
How are Comminuted Fractures Treated?
Surgery can repair the bone and ensure it heals well, so you don’t lose arm or leg function. Doctors may perform these surgeries on comminuted fractures:
Internal fixation: To repair the bone, the doctor opens an area near the break. They’ll use rods, plates, screws, pins, and wires to keep the bones together while they recover.
External fixation: For severe injuries not suitable for surgery, a doctor may put screws into shattered bones and attach them to a brace. This device holds screws while the bone and other internal damage heal. A doctor may utilize tissue from another bone, a donor, or artificial materials to replace seriously damaged bone that can’t be mended. They may also employ internal fixation to hold your bones together while they mend and grow.
No matter the treatment, the goal is to cure the injury, control pain, avoid complications, and restore function.
Your treatment may include:
- Surgery. Comminuted fractures may require surgery. This will repair fractured bones. In either case, the physician might insert metal rods or pins to keep the broken bones together while they heal.
- Medication. You may require painkillers.
- Splint/cast. After surgery, a splint or cast will immobilize your wounded area. This promotes bone healing.
- Traction. Stretching your muscles and tendons around the shattered bone may require a pulley, string, weight, or metal frame. This will keep your bone ends in place and help them heal properly.
- An open fracture requires different treatment than a closed one. Since the fracture broke your skin, bacteria and poisons may have entered. Your doctor of the best pain management center in Dallas will clean your injured skin, tissues, and bones to prevent infection.
Stabilization After Surgery
After surgery stabilizes your shattered bone, the long recuperation begins. Comminuted fractures can take a year or more to heal, longer than less catastrophic breaks.
A cast, brace, or splint immobilizes your bone after surgery. For weeks, you may experience discomfort, bruising, and swelling. The way you shattered your bone may require continuous hospitalization for trauma care. Start moving again after a few weeks. Physical therapy helps you recover without overworking your injuries.
Discuss your healing needs with doctors. Understand that recovery from a comminuted fracture takes time and may involve other injuries. Give yourself plenty of time to heal from this injury.
Comminuted Fracture Recovery Time
Comminuted fractures heal slower than uncomplicated fractures because numerous breaks are healing at once. These fractures can take a year to heal, depending on their intricacy and your ability to tolerate surgery, physical therapy, and other therapies. The bone may take months or years to mend. Bone is repaired and regains function.
What Distinguishes Comminuted and Segmental Fractures?
Segmental fractures occur when at least two complete fracture lines in the bone separate a bone “segment.”. The original bone breaks into three or more fragments in a comminuted fracture. Fracture lines don’t usually split bones. Some segmental fractures commute.
Prognosis
Comminuted fracture patients have an excellent prognosis if they follow their doctor’s advice. Although severe, these fractures are curable. After the initial injury, most people recover without pain and resume normal activities.
Coping
A comminuted fracture takes months to heal. Focus on achievable things throughout that period. Try new, non-injurious activities. Make time to beautify your cast. Consult your doctor if you have cast issues or pain. Your doctor may recommend physical therapy for your fracture. Often, the cast is removed to recover strength and range of motion.
Comminuted Breakage Home Treatment & Complications
- Rest, elevate, and immobilize the painful area until it heals. You should regain strength and normalcy.
- Prescribed Pain Some cases require medication, but not always. Pain, aching, and misery are often severe and require a script.
Comminuted fractures heal properly with adequate care, but problems may occur, such as:
- Avascular necrosis
- Misaligned bone growth and repair
- Bone growth disruption deformity
- Marrow infections
Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may miss months of your favorite activities. You must follow the best pain doctor in Dallas to heal faster.