Bone fracture diagnosis and treatment
Broken bone
If you’ve experienced a fracture (broken bone), our experts can help
What is a bone fracture?
Need to know
What are the symptoms of broken bones?
Keeping your bones healthy is one of the most important things you can do to prevent bone fractures. Exercising several times a week and making sure you consume enough calcium and vitamin D is vital as this encourages strong bones.
Though you can never totally eliminate the risk of suffering a fall or accident, you can minimise the risks. You can do this by exercising common sense and caution, such as ensuring you are wearing the right type and size of footwear, keeping aware of your surroundings at all time and following any health and safety protocols when in public areas.
What are the possible causes of broken bones?
There are several common reasons why you might suffer a broken bone. Some of these are easy to avoid, while others may lie out with your control.
These causes include:
• Trauma – for example, falls, twisting existing injuries, suffering sports injuries, being in a car (or any type of) accidents, or even fights.• Medical conditions that weaken the bone – such as osteoporosis, infections, osteogenesis imperfecta, chronic steroid use, or tumours in the bones.
• Overuse – seen most often in athletes, stress fractures (non-displaced hairline cracks in the bone), for example, may be the result of repetitive motions and repeated stress on the bone.
How are bone fractures diagnosed?
Your consultant will discuss what led to your fracture to find out the cause. They may also carry out imaging tests, such as an X-ray, to determine the extent of the fracture. This will help them to make a diagnosis.
What are potential treatment options for bone fractures?
Your consultant will discuss your treatment options with you. They may include conservative treatment such as managing the pain and immobilising the break with a cast, or surgery.
How to prevent bone fractures
Keeping your bones healthy is one of the most important things you can do to prevent bone fractures. Exercising several times a week and making sure you consume enough calcium and vitamin D is vital as this encourages strong bones.
Though you can never totally eliminate the risk of suffering a fall or accident, you can minimise the risks. You can do this by exercising common sense and caution, such as ensuring you are wearing the right type and size of footwear, keeping aware of your surroundings at all time and following any health and safety protocols when in public areas.Living with a bone fracture
After your break has been immobilised to heal, there will need to be some adjustments made to your day-to-day life to accommodate your limited range of movement. Firstly, you must make sure your home is safe, as you may need to use crutches, a walking frame, a wheelchair, or a sling/cast.
Daily tasks that you may have taken for granted, such as preparing food, bathing, and getting dressed will now be more difficult, so ensure you have the support of a family member or friend on hand. Most importantly, make sure you’re giving your body what it needs to heal, such as painkillers, rest and limited activity.
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Our advisors can help with your enquiries. Or, you can book an appointment with a specialist or consultant