Fracture in the arm

Fracture in the arm

1. Anatomy of the arm

   • compartments of the arm
     • The upper arm is divided into anterior and posterior compartments by the humerus and the 2 intermuscular septa, each having its muscles, nerves and arteries
       • Anterior
         • its responsible for flexion
         • muscles of the anterior compartment
           • biceps brachii
           • brachialis
           • corachobrachialis
       • posterior
         • its responsible for extension
         • muscels of the posterior compartment
           • triceps
   • nerves of the arm
     • Nerves of the anterior compartment
       • ulnar, median and musculocutaneous nerve
     • Nerves of the posterior compartment
       • radial nerve

2. Fractures

   • A fracture is a partial or complete break in the bone.
   • signs of fractures
     • sudden pain
     • swelling
     • unable to bear weight
     • deformity
     • redness
   • types of fractures
     • transverse (displaced and non-displaced)
     • compound
     • greenstick
     • oblique
     • comminuted
     • based on the number of fractures that are present
       • simple (2 fractures)
       • comminutdd (4 fractures)
     • based on the direction of the fractured line
       • transverse
         • perpendicular to the long axis of the bone
       • longitudinal
         • along the long axis of the bone
       • spiral
       • diagonal

3. causes of fractures

   • Stress/overuse fracture
     • Usually occurs due to an overuse of the muscles that can’t compensate with the workload.
   • Osteoporotic fracture
     • occurs with minimal trauma since the bones are very fragile
   • Traumatic fracture
     • Extreme force applied, as in accidents or falls.

4. fracture healing process

   • bones have an amazing capability to heal back to their normal shape
     • The bone healing process is the same in all broken bones, whether a bone has been cut during surgery or fractured through an injury.
       • what can interrupt bone healing
         • smoking
         • drinking alcohol
         • Low levels of calcium and vitamin D
         • Medical conditions such as osteoporosis.
   • there are 3 stages
     • 1) inflammation
       • bleeding occurs in the area causing inflammation and forms a hematoma at the fracture site. This provides structural stability in order to produce new bone.
     • 2) bone production
       • begins when the clotted blood gets replaced by fibrous tissue and cartilage (soft callus). As healing progresses, the soft callus will end up being replaced with hard bone (hard callus).
     • 3) bone remodeling
       • This is the final phase of bone healing, bone continues to form and becomes compact until it will eventually replace the hard callus and return to its original shape.
         • The osteoblasts will deposit lamellar bone while the osteoclasts remove the hard callus

5. Treatment for fractures

   • Bones grow very slowly so it takes a very long time, months to years at least
     • treatment will depend on the severity of the break.
       • first aid in case of fractures
         • Don't move the person except if necessary to avoid further injury.
         • stop any bleeding by applying pressure to the wound
         • immobilize the injured area
         • if swelling is present, apply ice to decrease it

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