Your arm also may look deformed, swollen, bruised or be bleedling. You may feel extreme pain, or increased pain with movement. Most patients lose the use of their arm.
Is it also possible that you have broken your arm and not feel some or all these symptoms. Even if the break or fracture is small, this doesn’t change the fact that you have a broken arm. This is where proper diagnosis and treatment is very critical.
Delays in medical attention can complicate the healing of your arm fracture, as well as the care, repair, and recovery.
Broken bones are known as a fractures. Any bone in the arm can be broken, but common areas for fractures in your arm are:
The Wrist, Distal Radius Bones
Forearm Bones (Radius & Ulna)
Elbow
Humerus
Shoulder
The word fracture is a medical term for any break in a bone. A fracture can vary in severity from compound fractures where the bone’s broken end punctures the skin to an open wound to hairline fractures, which are small cracks in the bone’s surface that are contained within the arm. Bones can fracture into one or several different pieces.
Contact Expert Orthopedic Doctor, Dr. Stephen W. Pournaras, Jr. treating fractures & trauma to your arm.
There are two main types of fractures – open and closed.
An open fracture is when the broken bone comes out through your skin causing an open wound. This is a very severe fracture and surgery is required to reposition the bones and close the wound.
A closed fracture is when your bone is broken but it does not come out through your skin.
This is the most common of the two. Closed fractures are usually treated non-surgically.
Within the closed fracture category, there is a variety of different fractures.
The bones in your arm can break in several ways. They can crack slightly or can break into many pieces.
Dr. Pournaras will examine your arm for tenderness, swelling, deformity or open wounds. After discussing your symptoms and how the injury occured, X-rays will be done to determine the location and extent of the break. With severe fractures another scans, such as an MRI, might be used to get more detailed images.
Each type of fracture will cause slightly different symptoms and will require slightly different treatment. Dr. Pournaras will examine you and the results of X rays (imaging tests) to determine which kind of fracture you have and what the best course of treatment is.
Broken arm treatments depend on the type of break that occurs. Healing time often depends on a variety of factors, that include severity of the fracture.
Some fractures require surgery, and others can heal with non-surgical treatments.
Setting The Bone
If you are diagnosed with a closed fracture, Dr. Pournaras may need to move the pieces of the break back into position. If you are in alot of pain and have swelling in your arm, you may be given a muscle relaxant, sedative or even a general anesthetic before the procedure.
Casting
Restricting movement of a broken bone, can require a splint, sling, brace or cast, and it is critical to your healing. Patients usually wear a splint until their swelling goes down, then a cast will be applied. You may need to return to our office for X-rays while your arm is casted to make sure the bones haven’t shifted.
Surgical Options
For over 30 years, Virginia Board Certified Physician, Dr. Stephen W. Pournaras, Jr. has provided excellent healthcare and treatment for his patients. As a multi-specialty orthopedic practice, offering the best for you medically to treat, heal and lead you to optimum recovery. We are dedicated to using state-of-the-art technology while building nurturing relationships with each of our patients.
Contact Us Today.
