Musculoskeletal Flashcards
(36 cards)
types of fractures: closed/simple
skin intact
open/compound fracture
skin broken from within during trauma or without during surgical intervention
complete fracture
entire width of bone is broken
incomplete fracture
not entire width of bone
stable/nondisplaced fracture
maintain anatomical alignment
unstable/displaced
don’t maintain anatomical alignment
transverse fracture
A transverse fracture is when the fracture line is perpendicular to the shaft (long part) of the bone.
oblique fracture
An oblique fracture is when the break is on an angle through the bone.
Spiral fracture
A spiral fracture is a bone fracture that occurs when a long bone is broken by a twisting force. It usually takes a combination of surgery, rest, and physical therapy to recover from spiral fractures
comminuted fracture
One kind is a comminuted fracture. This injury happens when your bone breaks into three or more pieces. Fractures can be open or closed.
segmental fracture
They happen when one of your bones is broken in at least two places, leaving a segment of your bone totally separated by the breaks.
Avulsed fracture
An avulsion fracture is an injury to the bone in a location where a tendon or ligament attaches to the bone. When an avulsion fracture occurs, the tendon or ligament pulls off a piece of the bone.
impacted fracture
An impacted fracture occurs when the broken ends of the bone are jammed together by the force of the injury.
Torus fracture
It is a common occurrence following a fall, as the wrist absorbs most of the impact and compresses the bony cortex on one side and remains intact on the other, creating a bulging effect
greenstick fracture
A greenstick fracture occurs when a bone bends and cracks, instead of breaking completely into separate pieces. The fracture looks similar to what happens when you try to break a small, “green” branch on a tree. Most greenstick fractures occur in children younger than 10 years of age.
what is closed reduction?
nonsurgical manipulation, manual traction; uses general or local anesthesia. Used to set bone back into correct placement.
What is open reduction?
surgical correction of bone alignment; may include fixation (wire, screws, pins, plates, rods, nails)
Two types of traction for setting bone?
skin traction (weight to tape attached to skin around damaged body part) and skeletal traction (pins/wires surgically inserted into bone)
complications of casts:
impaired circulation, imapired neurological function (movement and sensation), infection, compartment syndrome; venous thrombosis, fat embolism
Cast care
- protect skin prior to applying
- cast may produce heat in drying
- with wet casts, never use fingertips (indentation)
- elevate extremities during initial period; assess for complications
- explain to the patient: no sharp objects underneath; elevate cast during first stages to prevent edema; clean cast; skin at edges; waterproof around perineal; skin care!
Compartment syndrome
compression of structures in closed compartments (either natural structures of body or within a cast)
compartment syndrome is indicated by:
dramatic increase in pain, loss of sensation or movement, pain with passive motion, and pulselessness
6 Ps: paresthesia, pain, pressure, pallor, paralysis, pulselessness
Treatment of compartment syndrome
DON’T elevate extremity above the heart; DON’T apply ice; DO remove or loosen band or cast; if due to internal tissue compartment, fasciotomy may be performed
3 types of hip fractures
femoral neck, intertrochanteric, subtrochanteric
