What is an open fracture?
An open fracture, also known as a compound fracture, means that a broken bone or cartilage breaks through the skin, or that the skin was damaged during the injury. Bone sale for elements in air, dirt or other materials significantly increases the chance of infection or disease in the bone. An open fracture must be immediately treated by a doctor. Merged fractures can happen easier if a person has osteoporosis due to fragile bones and children are more likely to maintain a fracture because their bones are softer over development years. The fracture is categorized as open if the skin is damaged or bones penetrates into the skin, while closed fractures are contained in the skin and there is no risk of infection from environmental elements. Broken bones are classified according to what bone were broken, such as tibia or femur, and how the bone fragments are aligned. Fracture classification types include depressive, linear, spiral or affected.
Depending on how damage occurred and whether the accident caused dirt, gravel, dirty water or other substances contaminated fracture, it will be necessary to clean during the procedure known as debridement. Surgery is almost always necessary for a patient with an open fracture. The patient will be subjected to anesthesia to thoroughly clean the bones, and during the procedure the fragments of bones and crushed tissue will be removed. Antibiot fluids will be used to clean the area. Tetanus missiles can also be administered to prevent illness.
In order to recover the bones back together, the bone will be returned to the site, sometimes with screws, nails or plates, and will be worn or parallel to ensure the stability and immobilization of the bone during the healing process. Inner nails will sometimes be attached to the outer frame to prevent movement. Fracture usually recovers within six weeks but if there are complications or if a person is older, healing can tRiv 12 weeks.
If an open fracture is not properly treated, infection in the bone, also known as osteomyelitis, may occur. Multiple operations may be required to remove infected tissue and bone and drain fluid. Depending on the severity of the infection, bone grafting may be completed to help in the healing process. If these steps are not taken, the bone may recover deformed or the ends of the broken bone during the healing process.