Broken Arm
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Do you have a Broken Arm?
A broken arm can happen to everyone! A trip and fall over children’s toys, epic wipe out on a skateboard, or falling while saving a kitten from a tree can cause a broken arm.
Anatomy of the Arm
The arm consists of 3 main bones: humerus, ulna, and radius. The humerus is the large bone in the upper arm that is a part of the shoulder and the elbow. The radius and ulna are the 2 long bones in the lower arm (forearm). The radius is the bone on the side of the thumb and the ulna is on the side of the pinky.
Broken Arm
What could cause a broken arm?
As mentioned before, a broken or fractured arm can happen from simple day to day tasks or from sports activities. The forearm bones are more involved in a trip and fall type accident as it is a natural instinct to put your arms out to protect the head and face. This causes most of the force of the fall to go into the forearm causing a fracture or break in this area. Another way a broken bone in the arm can occur is by hitting or being hit with force. This can happen by falling and hitting your arm on a hard object or being hit by a car or bat.
Signs and Symptoms of a broken arm
Some times a broken bone is obvious; such as a bone is sticking out of your skin or your arm is deformed. Other times it is not as obvious. It is important know things you should look out for if you suspect a broken arm are:
- Pain right after a fall or blow to the arm
- Swelling in the area of the injury
- Bruising
- Difficulty moving your arm
- Numbness or tingling in the area of the injury or lower in the arm
Diagnosis of a broken arm
If you suspect you may have a broken arm, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. An X-ray, or radiograph, is the gold standard for diagnosing a broken bone. A fracture can be a small crack in the bone or a large displaced fracture where the bones are not in-line with each other.
Types of Fractures
Treatment for a Broken Arm
The treatment of the injury will be determined by the severity of the fracture.
- Large fractures that cause a deformity or have broken through the skin will most always require surgery. This surgery requires some type of fixation such as a metal plate or screws placed by a surgeon. After this, the arm is immobilized by some form of a cast and sometimes a sling to allow for healing
- Smaller, non-displaced fractures will usually be treated by immobilization itself to allow for the healing to occur.
- JOI is now offering a breathable and removable casting option called ActivArmor™. A traditional cast is made of plaster and is not waterproof or removable. This causes some difficulties with bathing and being able to see any skin irritation or wounds. The ActivArmor™ is made of ABS plastic and is designed to fit each person’s arm specifically. The advantage of this type of casting is that it is waterproof, removable, breathable, and durable. The user can get the cast wet, be able to see the skin through the cast, remove the cast if needed, and even play sports in the cast.
- Occupational or physical therapy may also be needed following a fracture. These treatments include stretching the arm to decrease any stiffness from the immobilization and to strengthen the arm back to its normal strength. A custom splint or an upper arm brace may help to immobilize the body part. For JOI Rehab, please call 904-858-7045.
- If you suspect you have broken your arm, it is important to have it assessed by a medical professional to have it treated accordingly!
- If you want to learn more about this condition, please go to: broken arm symptoms
Related Articles: Broken Wrist, Fracture vs Break, and Broken Elbow.
If you need to schedule with an Orthopedic Specialist, please call 904-JOI-2000, schedule online or click below
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