Contents
What is a leg fracture?
Broken leg – this is an injury to one or more bones of the lower limb, with a violation of their integrity. Such injuries are very common, their prevalence among the total mass of fractures is 45%.
The reasons are:
First of all, the injury is the result of careless movement on the street or around the house.
The second most common cause of injury to the lower extremities is road traffic accidents and falls from a height.
Industrial accidents and criminal incidents remain in third place.
The cause can also be diseases that a person already has, and a fracture can occur as a result of even a small load on the limb. For example, the risk of injury increases in people suffering from osteoporosis.
The risk of injury increases in the following category of people: athletes, due to their professional activities, children, due to their high mobility and negligence, pensioners, due to age-related changes in the bone structure.
Symptoms of a broken leg
The severity of symptoms will depend on the nature of the injury and its severity.
The most common signs include:
Feeling pain. If the leg is immobilized, then it is dull and aching. When you try to move a limb or lean on it, the pain becomes sharp, throbbing.
Limb mobility is limited.
After a short time, swelling and hematoma will appear near the injury site.
Crepitus, which occurs due to the friction of fragments against each other.
A crunch that occurs immediately at the time of injury.
Sometimes the leg is mobile in the place where there are no joints. But this symptom may not manifest itself. More often it is observed with trauma to the tubular bones.
If the fracture is open, then the bone that has broken through the soft tissues, muscles and skin will be visible.
If there has been a displacement of the bones, then it will be possible to feel the fragments of the bone.
Unnatural position of the leg.
Shortening of the limb due to the muscles “pulled up” to the site of the tragedy.
If the patella is broken, then the edema is formed almost instantly, the leg will be impossible to bend and unbend. At the same time, if the fragments have not dispersed by more than half a centimeter, then the function of supporting the leg will not be lost.
If the foot is injured, then it will not be possible to stand on the leg, swelling will appear, but, as a rule, it is not as pronounced as in the patella area.
Swelling of the leg after a fracture
The appearance of edema after a leg injury is a completely natural phenomenon. Sometimes swelling occurs immediately, sometimes over time, but there are no fractures without swelling. Its formation occurs due to the fact that the normal blood flow in the injured area is sharply disturbed.
Sometimes the swelling does not go away for a long time period, it may be accompanied by painful sensations. Often such prolonged swelling is caused by injury to the ligaments, muscle tissue and tendons.
Edema may persist even when the plaster has already been removed and the fusion of the bones is completed. This often occurs due to stagnation of the lymph, so this phenomenon is called lymphostasis. This is a rather serious complication that can lead to the development of a number of diseases: tissue fibrosis, the appearance of cysts, and the formation of ulcers. If the patient has noticed a long-term edema that does not pass, then it is necessary to consult a doctor.
Modern methods of treatment, with the use of various drugs and with a variety of procedures, perfectly help to get rid of congestion in the limb. UV irradiation, hydromassage, electrical muscle stimulation, phonophoresis and electrophoresis will help.
Types of leg fractures
There is no single classification, since there are certain indicators on which this or that type of fracture depends.
Therefore, depending on the severity of the injury, the following injuries are distinguished:
Complete and incomplete fractures. At the same time, complete ones are with displacement of fragments and without displacement.
Open injuries of the lower extremity. They are characterized by damage to the skin, with the release of the bone into the external environment.
Closed leg injury. They are localized inside the soft tissues.
With complications in the form of fat embolism, infection, traumatic shock or injury to other organs.
Uncomplicated, flowing relatively easily.
Depending on the location of the injury, one can distinguish:
Injuries to the femoral bone, which include injuries of the proximal end, diaphyseal fractures and fractures of the femoral condyles. The latter are called a fracture of the distal end of the bone.
Lower leg injuries, which include injuries to the tibial condyles, distal injuries, with fractures of both lower leg bones, and ankle injuries.
Damage to the foot, while suffering from the tarsus, metatarsal bones and phalanges of the fingers.
From what features the fracture line has, the following injuries are distinguished:
If the line is transverse to the bone – transverse fractures.
If the line is at an angle to the bone – oblique fractures.
If the line runs along the bone – longitudinal fractures.
If the line goes in a spiral – helical fractures.
When fractures are with fragments, they can be classified as follows:
Avulsion injury, we are talking about it in the case when a fragment of a small size departs from the bone.
Polyfocal injury – two or more large fragments came off the bone.
Impacted injury. In this case, the entry of one fragment into another is implied.
Comminuted trauma, with the presence of splinters.
Crushed injury, when there are many fragments and they are small.
Compression injury occurs as a result of compression of the limb.
Closed leg fracture
A closed fracture can be either with or without displacement of the fragments. It is much easier to determine the latter than the former, because if there has been a movement of fragments, then most often this is seen by the non-standard shape of the leg, which has a deformity.
Symptoms of closed fractures are sometimes similar to those of severe bruises, but the following signs will help to suspect a fracture:
There was a severe deformity of the leg.
During palpation, a crunch is heard, even without the use of an additional device.
The bone is mobile where there is no joint.
The final diagnosis will be made only by a doctor, after an X-ray examination. At the same time, each person needs to have certain knowledge of how to help the victim with a closed fracture. He needs to be given an anesthetic, then fix his leg. This can be done correctly even without specialized tires at hand, for example, Cramer or Dieterichs. It is enough to find a stick, an umbrella, thick cardboard or another means suitable for length and strength and tie it to the leg. Fixation should be strong and reliable, but not tight. After such events, the victim should be taken to the hospital.
Open leg fracture
An open injury is always much more dangerous than a closed one. It is accompanied by serious damage not only to bones, but also to tissues. Distinguishing an open fracture is not difficult. Indeed, in addition to constant companions in the form of swelling, hemorrhage and pain, a bright sign is added – the bone will come out.
Such an injury requires immediate treatment, because it can even lead to death. An important point is the provision of competent first aid. First you need to try to reduce the suffering of the patient, for this he needs to be given any painkiller that is available. Then the leg must be immobilized. For this, a long and hard stick or board is used. The fixation must be secure so that no movement of the bone occurs during transport. For fastening, it is highly desirable to use, if not sterile, then at least just clean material so as not to infect the wound. It should be treated around with any antiseptic. The bone cannot be set on its own – this is the prerogative of professionals.
Bleeding is a constant companion of an open injury. If it is arterial, when the blood has a bright scarlet color and flows out intensively, then a tight tourniquet must be applied over the damaged artery. When the bleeding is venous, it can be limited to the usual pulling with a bandage, which should be located below the damaged area. Venous blood is darker, while the jet does not pulsate. After. Once all relief efforts have been completed, the injured person should seek qualified assistance.
How to develop a leg after a fracture?
After an injury, treatment, and removal of the cast, the leg often refuses to function normally. Therefore, it is necessary to take certain measures aimed at its development.
It pursues goals such as:
Help eliminate muscle atrophy, start recovery processes in damaged and altered vessels.
Help joints work better, become more mobile.
Reduce or completely eliminate puffiness.
Restore muscle tone and former elasticity.
Resume movement.
The rehabilitation program in each case is compiled individually, but it necessarily includes a set of exercises, diet, visits to a massage parlor and water treatments, for example, baths with additives.
Exercise after a broken leg
As simple exercises aimed at restoring limbs, you can choose the following:
Sitting on a chair, you need to rotate your foot in a circle. Movement should be carried out both in the knee and in the ankle joint. You can start exercising after a week after removing the plaster.
The simplest thing you can do is increase your walking time. Hiking will help not only to develop a limb, but also to saturate the body with oxygen.
Making leg swings, for this you need to find yourself a support. A chair back or just a wall will do. You need to repeat at least 10 times.
Lifting on toes, followed by a roll on the heels.
In the prone position, carry out cross swings with raised legs. Too high limbs should not be raised.
These exercises should be performed regularly, and after a month a person will feel a significant improvement. The leg will become obedient, able to take even greater loads. Therefore, you can start exercising in the gym. Pedaling a bicycle, for starters, no more than 10 minutes are shown. As the muscles strengthen, you can increase the duration of classes.
Treatment of a broken leg
Therapeutic measures include several successive stages. After the patient is taken to the hospital and the doctor makes an accurate diagnosis, therapy can begin. The course of further medical actions depends on how complex the injury is. It is possible that gypsum will be immediately applied, or it is possible that surgical intervention will be required first, with the implantation of metal structures.
There is no drug therapy. The patient receives painkillers during the main manipulations. Sometimes it is shown taking calcium supplements to accelerate the fusion of leg bones.
Modern methods of therapy are reduced to:
Closed bone reposition.
Osteosynthesis with minimal incisions.
Applying plaster.
Further measures will already be aimed at restoring the function of the leg and accelerating the processes of bone fusion.
How long to wear a cast?
Plaster after a leg fracture is applied in almost 100% of cases.
The timing of its wearing varies and depends on the severity and location of the injury:
If the ankle was broken, but no displacement occurred, then the cast will have to be worn for 3,5 to 7 weeks. The period will be longer if the inside of the ankle is affected. If displacement is observed, then up to 3 months can be spent in plaster. When the tibia is included in the fracture, the leg will be immobilized for almost 4 months.
If the lower leg was broken, but there was no displacement, then the plaster will be on the victim for 3 months. If there is a shift, then you can be in a state of immobilization for a month more.
When there is a fracture of the foot without displacement, the cast will be applied for 1,5 months, if there is displacement for 12 weeks.
The phalanges of the fingers heal faster than the rest of the bones of the leg, so they will be cast in about 2 weeks.
These terms are very conditional and can vary with a deviation up or down.
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