Bone Trauma
Bone Trauma
A broken bone or bone fracture occurs when a force exerted against a bone is stronger than the bone can bear. This disturbs the structure and strength of the bone, and leads to pain, loss of function and sometimes bleeding and injury around the site. Our skeleton is made up of bones. Bones are a type of connective tissue, reinforced with calcium and bone cells. Bones have a softer centre, called marrow, where blood cells are made. The main functions of our skeleton are supporting our body, enabling movement and protecting our internal organs.
Symptoms of bone fractures
Fractures are different from other injuries to the skeleton such as dislocations, although in some cases it can be hard to tell them apart. Sometimes, a person may have more than one type of injury. If in doubt, treat the injury as if it is a fracture.
The symptoms of a fracture depend on the particular bone and the severity of the injury, but may include:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Deformity
- Bruising
- Inability to use the limb.