HWN Suggests

You broke a bone in the middle of nowhere. Now what?

Picture this: While descending a precarious slope, you lose your balance, land awkwardly on a rock, and your foot wrenches sideways. Immediately, you hear a distinct cracking sound—one you’ll probably never be able to forget—and you fall to the ground in pain. What moments ago was a pleasant weekend hike has officially become a lot less enjoyable: you’re in the wilderness with a broken bone. While an injury like this means the end to an excursion, it’s rarely a life-and-death situation. In fact, with the right training, the appropriate tools, and a level head, you can make it back to civilization in one piece and with a hell of a story to tell.

read full article

Featured

 One Broken Bone? You May Be at Risk for Another

Any fracture in an older woman or man, whether from a car accident or sidewalk slip, may be a sign you should have your bone health checked.

 Study Finds Another Condition That Vitamin D Pills Do Not Help

The vitamin pills do not prevent bone fractures in most people or protect against many other diseases, adding to questions about medical guidance many now take for granted.

Articles of Interest

Oh The Pain! Broken Bone Anyone?

Getting a cast can be a rite of passage for many children, especially those who play sports (or those who decide to test their superpowers!) However, children are not simply small adults and the types of fractures and treatment given to children can vary widely from their adult counterparts.

10 Facts You Must Know about Bone Fractures

Broken bones aren't fun for anyone, whether you're young, old, or in between. Did you know that approximately 6 million Americans suffer from at least one broken bone every year? That may sound like a crazy number but think about all the kids who fall off playground structures and people involved in car accidents.

A fall shattered his body. These medical marvels pieced him back together.

From virtual reality to an anti-gravity treadmill, Brent Bauer’s tale of recovery reveals a cutting-edge future for surgical medicine.

A Perfect Storm for Broken Bones

Currently, many people at risk of a fracture — and often their doctors — are failing to properly weigh the benefits of treating fragile bones against the very rare but widely publicized hazards of bone-preserving drugs, experts say.

After a Broken Bone, the Risk of a Second Fracture

Far too few patients are referred for treatment that could stave off another costly, debilitating and sometimes deadly fracture.

After a Hip Fracture, Reducing the Risk of a Recurrence

Following a fracture, patients should have a bone density test, evaluation of calcium and vitamin D levels and, in nearly all cases, medication to protect against further bone loss.

Break a Leg!

What’s the best way to fracture your own tibia?

Breaking bones in childhood more than doubles the odds of it happening again as an adult, study finds

Breaking a bone in childhood is not just a rite of passage. It could be a warning sign of future fracture risk and osteoporosis. A history of prior fracture is one of the strongest predictors of future fractures, yet current guidelines used to determine osteoporosis risk ignore childhood fractures.

Broke your arm? Exercise the other one to strengthen it…

Most people do not do much exercise while a broken arm is healing and can struggle with this loss of muscle, known as “atrophy,” and weakness for many weeks after the injury. A new study published recently in the Journal of Applied Physiology, conducted in my lab by graduate student Justin Andrushko, suggests an effective strategy to offset muscle weakness might be to exercise the other arm.

Exercise could help broken bones heal faster – here’s how

If you’ve ever broken a bone, you probably thought it was best to rest and not put any weight on it. But somewhat counter-intuitively, exercise may actually play an important role in making sure fractures heal properly. In fact, research shows that being physically active can promote bone healing – and even help you avoid future fractures.

Heartburn Drugs Tied to Bone Fractures in Children

Proton pump inhibitors are sometimes needed in children with reflux, but parents should be aware they may increase the risk of fractures.

In the Paralympic Fix-It Shop, Plenty of Fractures but No Blood

Repair technicians at the Paris Games fix everything from bent wheelchair frames to broken sunglasses.

Is it broken? A strain or sprain? How to spot a serious injury now school and sport are back

But it is not just broken bones that can hamper your children’s Olympic dreams – or just disrupt their play. What are the differences between strains, sprains and fractures? And how can you identify and manage these injuries?

King Tut Died From Broken Leg, Not Murder, Scientists Conclude

While many have theorized that King Tut met his demise by murder, new evidence has lead scientists to believe otherwise.

New Ways Doctors Treat Bone Fractures in Children

Children who have two or more bone fractures before age 10 and three or more before age 19 should get a bone density scan to test for deficiency. Bone health and density previously has been something that was a focus mostly for women as they aged.

Olympians to Weekend Warriors – Warning Signs for Non-healing Fractures

“Of those who fracture a bone, statistics show up to 20 percent will not heal properly,” said Samir Mehta, MD, chief of the division of Orthopaedic Trauma. “And more often than not, some of these nonunion or malunion fractures will go uncorrected.” A malunion occurs when a fractured bone heals in an abnormal position, which can lead to impaired function of the bone or limb. Similarly, a nonunion is the result of a fractured bone failing to heal after an extended period of time – in some cases this could be 9 or even 12 months later. But, Mehta explains that there are some things that folks can monitor and look out for to prevent nonunion or malunion fractures from going untreated for months and years on end.

Signs a Broken Bone is Not Healing

The signs that a broken bone is healing are often typically an improvement in mobility and a decrease in pain. While the progress may not be consistent, each week should be an improvement from the previous. But the signs that your broken bone is not healing properly may be less clear cut.

Spinal Fractures Can Be Terribly Painful. A Common Treatment Isn’t Helping.

Injections of bone cement into fractured vertebrae fail to relieve pain any more than a placebo does, researchers found.

Staving Off Repeat Fractures With Bone Tests, Counseling

An estimated half of women and a quarter of men over age 50 will break at least one bone due to osteoporosis. That includes many hip and spinal fractures that can end an older person's independence and mobility. Yet even when they do suffer a fracture, only about 20% of older people are given a bone-density test to determine their risk for further fractures, according to the National Bone Health Alliance (NBHA), an alliance of physicians organizations, advocacy groups, drug manufacturers and medical-imaging companies.

Supplements May Not Prevent Bone Fractures

An influential government advisory panel on Monday questioned the benefits of supplements containing both vitamin D and calcium for healthy women, saying there's insufficient evidence to show they prevent bone fractures. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended against the use of low or moderate doses of the supplements, after concluding they don't work to prevent fractures and might increase the risk of kidney stones. It said there wasn't enough clinical data to determine whether high doses—or those above 400 international units of vitamin D and 1,000 milligrams of calcium— are effective.

The Claim: After Being Broken, Bones Can Become Even Stronger.

THE FACTS Just like muscle, human bone grows and strengthens under pressure, and weakens when barely put to use. This concept — that bone adapts to pressure, or a lack of it — is known as Wolff’s law. It’s the reason astronauts return with reduced bone density after floating in microgravity. And conversely, it explains why studies show that tennis players and fencers develop greater bone mass in their dominant arms and legs. But this adaptive measure goes only so far. Despite one misconception, there is no evidence that a bone that breaks will heal to be stronger than it was before.

Understanding Bone Fractures

The average person will suffer two fractures in his/her lifetime. Children and older adults typically suffer more fractures than other age-groups, and fractures can be caused by a variety of different reasons. As adults age, the bones become more brittle and balance becomes less stable. Rather than bouncing back from a fracture like children, older adults might be incapacitated for months and possibly suffer life-threatening complications from the fracture.

Vegetarian women have 33% greater risk of hip fracture – here are three things you can do to reduce your risk

Previous studies have shown vegetarians have lower bone mineral density. But little research has explored whether vegetarians are at greater risk of certain fractures – especially hip fractures. This is one of the most common types of fracture, and also disproportionately affects women. Our research sought to address this research gap. We found that women who followed a vegetarian diet were at a 33% higher risk of hip fracture compared with those who regularly ate meat.

We Broke the Same Bone. My Recovery Was a Breeze, Hers an Ordeal. Why?

Fractures of the fifth metatarsal, in the foot, are common. But doctors treat them in a variety of ways.

What is the Most Commonly Broken Bone?

The clavicle, also known as the collarbone, is the most common bone that is broken. It is located between the shoulder blade and upper ribcage. The collarbone is slender and positioned in a way that makes it easy to break in sports activities and car accidents. Usually, the treatment involves the use of a sling for 6 – 8 weeks. It can also be helpful to use ice for the management of swelling and medication for pain relief.

Why Binge Drinking Makes You More Likely to Break Your Bones

Research in mice shows that heavy drinking triggers cellular changes that interfere with bone formation.

Resources

10 Common Types of Bone Fractures

There are several types of bone fractures, and each type can have slight variations.

3 Most Common Fractures and How to Treat Them

Fractures can be closed (no broken skin), open (broken skin), displaced (there’s a gap between the two ends of the bone), partial, or complete. Fortunately, bone healing is a natural process that just requires some intervention from a professional, who ensures your bones heal as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Bone Talks

Broken Bones, torn ligamnets, muscle strains, explained with pictures.