Fracture in the arm

Fracture in the arm

1. Anatomy of the arm

   • Posterior compartment
     • triceps
       • Origin
         • long head
           • Infraglenoid tubercle of the scapula.
         • Lateral head
           • Upper ½ of the posterior surface of the shaft of the humerus
         • Medial head
           • Lower ½ of the Posterior surface of the shaft of the humerus
       • Insertion
         • The 3 heads fuse together in a common tendon. Into the posterior part of the upper surface of the olecranon process of the ulna
       • extension of elbow joint
     • supplied by the radial nerve
   • Anterior compartment
     • biceps
     • coracobrachialis
     • brachialis
     • supplied musculocutaneous nerve
     • movements
       • flexion

2. Bones

   • compact bone
     • solid mass of bone tissue without spaces
     • found in shafts of long bones(diaphysis), outer covering of flat bones and vertebrae & outer and inner tables of skull
   • spongy
     • Consists of branching bony trabeculae (spicules) separated by spaces filled with red bone marrow.
       • location
         • ends of long bones(epiphysis)
         • flat bones as diploe of skull
         • bodies of vertebrae

3. Periosteum

   • transparent C.T membrane covering external bone surfaces.
   • composed of
     • -outer dense fibrous layer
     • -inner cellular (osteogenic) layer for bone growth and repair.

4. Types of fractures

   • Causes
     • stress/overuse fracture
       • occurs due to an overuse of the muscles that can’t compensate with the workload.
     • osteoporotic fracture
       • Minimal trauma, and the bones are very fragile.
     • Traumatic fracture
       • Extreme force applied, as in accidents or falls.
   • imaging
     • Xray
     • CT scan
     • MRI
     • Arm fractures are readily diagnosed on plain radiographs, and further imaging is rarely required.

5. Managment

   • Non operative technique
     • Closed reduction
     • Period of immobilization with casting or splinting.
       • Immobilization restricts motion to allow the injured area to heal. It can help reduce pain , swelling, and muscle spasms .
         • through
           • braces
           • casts
           • splints
           • collars
           • slings
   • surgical technique
     • Open reduction & internal fixation.
     • Open reduction & external fixation

Images and files in the map