Bone injury of one type or another is one of the most common reasons that people seek emergency room care and it is statically  implied that in a developed country a person is likely to suffer from at least two bone injuries over the course of their life.

Contrary to popular belief broken bones and fractures are essentially the same bone injury, but there are many types of fracture and a number of different ways to treat them effectively:

Stress Fractures – A bone injury that occurs as a result of overuse of a certain body part. A series of small traumas or over exertions build up over time, weakening the bone and resulting in a fracture. Athletes are prone to stress fractures, especially runners, gymnasts and basketball players. Treatment for a stress fracture is usually fairly conservative. This type of bone injury can usually be remedied with rest, ice and the use of anti inflammatory medications. Typically they heal within 6-8 weeks but one must be careful not to return to usual activity too soon, as reinjures is certainly a possibility.

Compression Fractures – These fractures occur most commonly in the back and are often a simple result of the aging process. When older bones begin to lose calcium they weaken resulting in some cases  in a condition called osteoporosis, which is very common amongst post menopausal women. As the bones in the spine weaken as a result of this calcium loss they can begin to crumple, resulting in pain that can be very severe. Treatment for a compression fracture can range from rest and wearing a brace to surgery, depending upon the severity of the bone injury.

Open Fracture – An open fracture is when a broken bone penetrates the skin, adding an open wound to the difficulties the patient is facing. An open fracture is a bone injury that usually results from a severe trauma such as a car crash or sports injury. Few football fans of a certain age can forget the site of the Washington Redskins’ Joe Theisman ending his career on television, as a result of a horrific open fracture of the leg.

Immediate treatment, and usually surgery is required when an open fracture occurs. The areas around the fracture must be surgically “cleaned “of any bone fragments to minimize infection. Open fractures can take months to heal even with prompt treatment.

Closed Fracture – In the case of this type of bone injury the fractured bone does not pierce the skin but can still cause a great deal of pain. Closed fractures are diagnosed with the help of x rays and are usually treated by casted immobilization to allow the bones to heal properly.