arthroscopy-procedure

Arthroscopy: Purpose & Procedure

Arthroscopy also calls ‘arthroscopic surgery’ is a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage is performed using an arthroscope and an endoscope that is inserted into the joint through a small incision.

Arthroscopic procedures can be performed during anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) reconstruction. While commonly used for meniscal injuries to the knee this use is not supported by the evidence.

The advantage over traditional open surgery is that a joint does not have to be opened up fully for knee arthroscopy only two small incisions are made one for the arthroscope and one for the surgical instruments to be used in the knee cavity.

This reduces recovery time and may increase the rate of success. Due to less trauma to the connective tissue, it is especially useful for professional athletes who frequently in journey joints and require fast healing time.

There is also less scarring because of the smaller incisions. Irrigation fluid is used to distend the joint don’t make a surgical space.

Surgeons view the joint area on a video monitor and can diagnose and repair torn joint tissue. Such as ligaments it is technically possible to the one arthroscopic examination of almost every joint but is most commonly used for the knee, shoulder, elbow wrist, ankle, foot, and hip.

Equipment Used for Arthroscopy are as follow: 

  • Linear camera
  • Tubular camera
  • Cabinet
  • Television screen
  • Camera analyzer
  • Radiofrequency control unit
  • Cautery machine

 

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Frozen Shoulder Featured Image

Frozen Shoulder: Causes, Symptoms and Diagnosis

What is Frozen Shoulder?

Frozen shoulder is characterized by a generalized pain in the shoulder and progressive loss of mobility. So when assessing patients, they often have very nonspecific pain around the shoulder and they have difficulties in moving their arms in all directions.

Frozen shoulder or its other term is adhesive capsulitis and is a relatively common condition affecting typically women between ages of 40 to 60, that comes on for no good reason. Women tend to get it more than men.

 

What Causes Frozen Shoulder?

It’s an autoimmune reaction which means it’s your own immune system that becomes overactive and attacks your shoulder joint. It’s mainly the capsule and the ligaments around the shoulder joint that becomes really inflamed and painful.

This inflammation causes thickening of the capsule and the ligaments it causes adhesions and it causes fibrosis or scar tissue. All of that makes the capsule and everything contract and that narrows the joint space.

So, the natural kind of progression of a frozen shoulder is that it goes through a really painful stage. While it’s actively inflamed.

 

Two types of frozen shoulder:

Primary: A primary frozen shoulder is with an unknown cause. It has just developed for seemingly no reason.

Secondary: A secondary frozen shoulder is when you can usually attribute it to a certain trauma, surgery, or medical condition. Most commonly hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

Now, regardless of whether a frozen shoulder is primary or secondary, it typically follows three phases.

 

Frozen shoulder is classically described in the three phases.

  1. Freezing phase:  The freezing phase is also known as the painful stage because typically, this is the most painful stage of all. It is characterized by generalized pain with progressive loss of mobility in the joint. Now, this stage can last anywhere between 3 to 8 months and patients often have difficulties in pinpointing the exact location of the problem.
  2. Frozen phase: During this phase, patients will often report that there’s less pain, but there’s also a lot less movement as well. This phase typically lasts between four to six months, although sometimes longer.
  3.  Thawing phase: This is the recovery phase, Patients will eventually enter the thawing phase, and in many cases, frozen shoulder is a self-limiting condition, meaning that eventually, it does get better, sometimes completely on its own. But that process can take sometimes up to two years or more.

 

What are your treatment options?

So in terms of treatment, for patients who are in that initial freezing phase, inflammatory phase, or having a lot of pain, anti-inflammatory medication can be helpful.

The key is gentle physical therapy under the direction of a skilled physical therapist or sometimes even just self-directed at home, which can be beneficial to help maintain range of motion.

Doctors also routinely employ the use of intra-articular corticosteroid injections, which is an injection that’s done directly into the shoulder joint.

So, if the patient is not getting better over a certain period of time.

A surgical procedure is actually performed it’s called an arthroscopic capsular release, so the procedures are done arthroscopically through small incisions and what’s actually done is under arthroscopic visualization, the stiff and fibrotic capsule is actually cut and released.

The bottom line is you have shoulder pain, and it’s affecting your daily living.

I think it’s time to get checked out initially, by your primary care physician, but certainly if the pain’s persisting and it seems like something is going on and it’s not just getting better on its own, it may be time to get checked out by orthopedics.

 

When should I see my Doctor?

It is recommended as a first step to see your primary care doctor and discussing the problem and at that point, the next step may be a referral to physical therapy or even evaluation by an orthopedist.

 

What can you expect at your first appointment?

At the first visit, a patient can expect, first of all, and perhaps most importantly a thorough history. That’s critical to making an accurate diagnosis. Secondly, thorough out a physical examination of the shoulder.

 

 

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Back Pain Featured image

Why We Have Back Pain & Backache? |Work From Home (Problem / Solution)|

What is Back Pain?

Back pain is a common problem. It frequently results from the strain of normal muscle, ligament, or tendon.

How is the back structured?

The spine, or the backbone, is one of the strongest parts of the body and gives us a great deal and flexibility and strength. It consists of 24 irregular bones.

Vertebrae that sit on top of the others separated by in-between discs. Inside the hard vertebrae.

vertebraeDiscsspinal cord

The spinal cord travels well protected, bridging the communication from the brain to the rest of the body, aided by the nervous system.

What causes back pain?

Poor posture, lack of physical training causing the back to stiffen, muscle strain, and sprains.

Some specific conditions are linked with the painful back including spondylosis, sciatica, and spinal stenosis.

spondylosis, sciatica and spinal stenosis.

Commonly related conditions,

Spondylosis:

Your back pain is affected by the wear and tear of the spine. As we get older, the discs inside the spine become thinner, narrowing the gaps between the vertebrae.

Spondylosis_ thinner

The condition may be worsened at the edges of the vertebrae and facet joints by the development of bone spurs or osteophytes.

Spondylosis_ bone spurs or osteophytes

Sciatica:

Sciatica_ Discs

Sciatica is caused by the irritation or compression of sciatic nerve roots in the spine. This may result in linked pain or numbness or tingling sensation in the legs. Pain travels all the way down the leg and foot.

 

Sciatica_ legs

Fortunately, 60% of people recover very quickly. Although in some cases it may take a number of months.

Other Causes:

Another rare cause of back pain is Spin stenosis. The bone problem such as a fracture and an infection, tumor, inflammation such as in Ankylosing spondylitis.

Spinstenosis

When should I see my Doctor?

You should see your doctor if your pain is very severe or lasts for a long period of time and significantly affect your everyday activities.

See your doctor immediately if you have difficulty controlling or passing urine, you lose control of your bowels, you feel numbness on the area of your anus or genitals, you have weakness in your legs, or are unsteady on your feet.

How are back problems diagnosed?

As most cases of back pain improve by themselves, a quick examination can diagnose most back pain conditions immediately. It rarely requires additional procedures.

What tests are there?

If needed, a rheumatologist may advise an X-ray, MRI scan, CT scan.

What Can I Do To Help Myself?

Painkillers, Paracetamol or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, a proton pump inhibitor which will help to protect the stomach.

Regular physical exercise helps you lose weight as this will reduce the strain on your back. Maintain a good straight posture whenever you sit at home, work, or in the car.

When you have to lift something, try to bend your knees and let your spine move without twisting. If it’s too much you can relieve the pain and stiffness by putting a heat pack in the affected area or an ice pack.

Who should treat me?

If back pain is still not settled, you need to see a specialist, a rheumatologist who would advise you on specialized treatment accordingly.

Back Pain: Work from Home (Problem)

Do you feel pain in your head from particularly from the front of the head and slowly radiating to the backside?

Do you feel pain in the lower back part of your lower back?

The pros and cons of work from home this small term work from home brings so many problems.

We talk about the positive side of work from home but it comes with a cost and that’s what we are going to discuss.

The most important problems associated with work from home and how to get rid of them?

  • Most people like 60% and above suffer from spinal pain in work from home that is lower back pain.
  •  Then comes the shoulder pain.
  •  The third is the pain in the skull in the front of your head.
  •  The fourth one is the issue with the vision.

These are the four things according to the study.

Back Pain: Work from Home (Solution)

  • Improve your posture while sitting on the chair while working on a laptop and invest in a good chair that will give you good posture.
  • Do some lower back exercises, to strengthen the back muscles.
  • The laptop or desktop screen should match your eye site level.
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How to Strengthen Bones without Calcium

How to Strengthen Bones without Calcium |Bone Density Myths|

It doesn’t matter if you’re young, it doesn’t matter you’re old. It doesn’t matter if you’re too fit or not fit. The simple case of the matter is that bone density plays a big role in everything. That we are working with regard to whether its fitness or long-term health.

The lame thing is, most of the industry and most of the mainstream are leading us totally astray. They all told us that calcium is the most important thing when in reality when it comes down to bone health.

When it comes down to making sure your tendons and your joints are really functioning at their best. There are a lot of other things that are much demanding to pay attention to.

In this article, I will address the truth behind bone density and the truth behind the mineral that you truly need.

 

Bone Density Myths

 

Vitamin D is one that a lot of people know about it and there is a simple fact of the matter is getting your vitamin D from sunlight is always going to be the best way.

You can take a supplemental vitamin D but here’s the thing some people have their opinions and there’s some science that is starting to show that taking vitamin d3 could deplete your retinol levels.

Now I’m not saying don’t take a vitamin D supplement but what I am saying is making sure that you’re regulating it.

Vitamin D does help to Corral the calcium and put it into the right places that’s why when you look at a pack of milk a lot of times it all say calcium plus vitamin D, but what we have to remember is that we don’t want to overdo it with anything getting it from sunlight always going to be the best.

However, there was one study that was published in 2005 in the journal of the American Medical Association that found that just taking seven to eight hundred IU’s of vitamin D daily did dramatically decreases the risk of hip fractures in post-menopausal women.

We are likely not deficient in calcium between dairy products, almonds, salmon, leafy greens it is high in calcium.

Unlikely, that you have a deficiency in calcium. In fact, if you actually do get your blood work done. So, you would probably find you’re not that deficient in calcium. We are frankly influenced to believe that we inherently have a deficiency in calcium.

 

How do Calcium and Magnesium work in our body?

 

When in reality calcium and magnesium work together and magnesium plays a bigger role than we may think you see magnesium can actually help to regulate the serum levels of calcium in the body.

This magnesium actually regulates calcium transport in the body. In fact, there is a positive correlation between magnesium levels and calcium levels that’s going into the bones.

Believe it or not, more magnesium in your body equals more density in the bones.

Need to understand the relationship between calcium and magnesium because in a lot of ways they are sort of the opposite. Since calcium excites a cell, magnesium encourages the relaxation of that cell. Then where calcium causes the blood to clot.

Magnesium generally helps keep blood flowing the same type of thing when it comes down to muscle contractions calcium is going to increase the muscle’s ability to contract.

Although, magnesium is going to allow that muscle to relax it’s not a good thing or a bad thing we just have to remember that relationship and the balance between calcium and magnesium.

Here’s the issue most people in the western world are consuming three and a half times as much calcium as they are magnesium. If you’re looking at balance here, how does that equate this study was published in 1993 in the journal of magnesium research and what it did is it take a look at 31 post-menopausal women.

These women they compared to a control group. For the 31 women, they gave 125 milligrams of magnesium 6 times per day for two years than the other group they gave nothing it was a control group.

What they found is at the end of two years the group that took magnesium had considerably higher levels of bone density and good bone mineralization compared to placebo. So that it clearly shows us that magnesium does play a role in bone density.

It does play a part in how the calcium is taken up into the bone to actually make a bone harder and stronger.

There’s a part two to this study and this is actually looking at it a two years later they found that those that we’re taking the magnesium even after they stopped taking the magnesium.

Still retain their bone density notably more than those that didn’t take the magnesium. So not only is magnesium good for getting bones stronger but also for keeping them stronger quite permanently.

 

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Types of Joints

6 Types Of Joints: Human Anatomy

The joints of the skeleton define the motion of the body and its limitations.

This article is about the types of joints in the human body.

Joints that are fibrous and cartilaginous hardly move, and some like the connection of the two pubic bones they don’t move at all.

fibrous and cartilaginous                pubic bone

 

Synovial Joints:

 

They have varying shapes, but the important thing about them is the movement they allow. Joints determine what position our bodies can take.

We learn them to invent poses. And we learn the limits to stretch the limits.

There are 6 types of synovial joints are Hinge, Pivot, Ball & socket, Ellipsoid, Saddle, and Plane.

 

6 Synovial joints

 

Let’s go through them one by one,

 

Hinge Joint:

 

The hinge is a very simple joint. It allows movement only on one axis. Its structure prevents rotation sideways.

The head of one bone wraps around the cylindrical head of the other, allowing a very stable rotation to the upper side.

 

Hinge Joint             

 

The hinge joint allows flexion and extension.

The best example of it is the elbow, it only does flexion and extension.

So, if the elbow only allows flexion and extension, how is it that we are able to twist the forearm?

Well, let’s take a look at the next joint.

 

Pivot Joint:

 

The pivot joint also allows rotation at only one axis. However, it rotates along the long axis.

 

 

Pivot joint Long axis

 

A cylindrical bone fits into a ring of bone and ligament, with the radioulnar joint just below the elbow.

 

Pivot joint

 

The cap on the radius bone fits nicely into this notch on the ulna bone.

 

Pivot joint (radioulnar)

Ligaments complete the ring, holding the bone in place and allow the radius only to rotate inside of it.

 

Pivot joint ring

 

The result on the forearm is what we call pronation and supination.

 

Pivot joint (Pronation)           Pivot joint (Supination)

 

During pronation, the base of the radius rotates over and around the head of the ulna. The ulna stays relatively still.

 

Pivot joint (Radius, Ulna)

 

Remember, the hinge joint at the elbow prevents the ulna from twisting. So all of that twisting happens at the radius.

And by the way, the distal joint of the ulna and radius is also a pivot joint.

The combination of the pivot at the top and at the bottom creates that twisting motion for pronation and supination.

 

Ball & Socket Joint:

 

The ball and socket is the champion of all joints. Its structure is just like how it sounds. A ball inside of a socket.

Ball and socket              Ball and socket 1

 

This simple and effective structure allows it to move in all axes- flexion/extension, abduction/adduction, rotation, and circumduction.

The two ball and socket joints of the body are at the hip and the shoulder.

 

Ball and socket (hip)                Ball and socket (Shoulder)

 

The hip has a deep socket, which gives it stability but limits some range of motion. The shoulder joints have a shallower socket, which gives it a greater range of motion but takes away some stability. Maybe that’s why a dislocated shoulder is so common.

 

Ellipsoid Joint:

 

Ellipsoid Joint

 

The ellipsoid joint is very similar to a ball and socket. However, the ligaments and their oval shape prevent rotation. But it still has the ability to rotate on two axes, which allows flexion/extension, abduction/adduction, and circumduction.

Circumduction is just a combination of all the others in a circular motion. The ball or oval head also slides inside the socket.

When it rotates along the wider plane, you can see how it pops out too much from the socket. So, it slides in back to the center.

A great example of an ellipsoid joint is the wrist, aka radiocarpal joint. The group of carpal bones rotates inside the socket of the radius.

 

Saddle Joint:

 

The saddle joint is similar to the ellipsoid but the rotation is limited mostly because of the bone structure. The structure of the saddle is very interesting.

 

              Saddle Joint 1

 

Both bones have a concave and convex surface. Convex means the surface sticks out, like a hill. Concave means the surface curves in, like a hole or a cave. The concave plane of one fits on the convex plane of the other.

 

Saddle Joint (Concave and convex)

 

So, this unique structure allows the joint to flex, extend, abduct, adduct, circumduction, and very slightly rotate.

An example of a saddle joint on the body is the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb.

 

Saddle Joint (Carpometacarpal Joint)

 

 

Plane Joint: 

 

It’s basically two flat surfaces, one on top of the other.

 

Plane Joint                Plane Joint

 

These surfaces can glide or rotate. They usually come in groups, like the carpal bone of the hand and the tarsal bone of the foot. The ligament holds these bones together but might allow some rotation and gliding.

 

Plane Joint

 

Another plane joint is the acromioclavicular joint. That’s the one between the clavicle and acromion process of the scapula.

 

Plane Joint

 

When we elevate the shoulder, the angle in here will adjust to keep the scapula vertical.

 

 

 

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Fracture healing feature image

Bone Fracture Healing: Primary and Secondary Procedures

Fracture healing is a specialized type of wound healing comprised of a sequence of inflammation, repair, and remodeling. That can restore the injured bone in the way of fracture heals depends on the amount of movement occurring between the fragments.

Where there is some movement at the fracture secondary bone healing occurs with a gradual transition of tissue types as the healing progresses.

 

Secondary Bone Healing:

Secondary bone healing is the natural form of healing in tubular bones under most circumstances there is some movement at the fracture site and bone heals with a callus in five overlapping phases.

These are the phase of tissue destruction and hematoma formation then the inflammatory phase, soft callus formation followed by hard callus formation, and the remodeling of the bone.

1. Tissue Destruction And Haematoma Formation

Following a bone, fracture vessels are torn and hematoma forms surround the fracture.

Tissue Destruction and Haematoma formation

 

2. Inflammation (Week 1)

Within a few hours of the fracture, there is an acute inflammatory reaction with the influx of inflammatory cells from surrounding soft tissues.

 

Inflammation (Week 1)

 

Various inflammatory mediators come into play which includes cytokines transforming growth factor-beta and platelet-derived growth factor.

Later on, the clotted hematoma is slowly and find new capillaries grow into the area by the end of this phase the mesenchymal stem cell start to multiply. These stem cells are derived from the periosteum the breached medullary canal and the surrounding muscles.

 

3. Soft Callus (Weeks 2-3)

Muscles in depending on the local biological and biomechanical environment. The stem cells differentiate into fibroblasts, Chondroblasts, and Osteoblasts.

soft callus (Week 2-3)

 

Simultaneously osteoblast starts clearing up the dead bone. The granulation tissue is gradually replaced with fibrous connective tissue and cartilage the thick cellular mass with it silence of a mature bone and cartilage forms the callous or splint the periosteum and industrial surfaces.

Soft callus (Week 2-3)soft callus (Week 2-3)

 

The fracture ends becomes sticky and movement is reduced.

 

4. Hard Callus & Consolidation (Weeks 4-12)

Bone formation begins within the soft callus, where the strain is lowest. Bone can be formed in two ways by intramembranous ossification and by endochondral ossification.

Hard CallusHard CallusHard Callus

Calcium is laid down in the matrix and the callus then becomes visible on radiographs as the immature fiber bone or the woven bone.

The fracture has consolidated once it has completely healed with the bridging bone.

 

5. Remodeling (Months to Years)

Now the fracture has been bridged by a cuff of solid bone over a period of months or even years.

Remodeling (Months to Years)Remodeling (Months to Years)Remodeling (Months to Years)

The crude world is reshaped by a continuous process of alternating bone resorption and formation.

This is the same process as occurs in routine skeletal turnover as well as in primary bone healing.

 

Also Read: Types of Bone Fractures: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

 

Primary Bone Healing:

In primary bone healing, bone healing is seen when the fracture is reduced and helps absolutely rigidly following internal fixation.

Primary bone healing

Fracture and compression also a similar pattern of healing is seen in the impacted fracture in cancellous bones.

Primary bone healingprimary bone healing

 

Two patterns of primary bone healing are observed,

 

Gap healing

 

New capillaries and osteoprogenitor cells growing in from the fracture edges fill the gap and new bone is laid down on the exposed surface.

In case of very narrow gaps directly lamellar bone is formed.

narrow gapnarrow gap

 

For wiper gaps initially woven bone is formed which is then remodeled to the lamellar bone.

 

Contact healing

 

When the fracture surfaces are in intimate contact and held rigidly from the outset.

Contact healing

Internal bridging may occasionally occur without any intermediate stages and primary healing by three to four weeks bone remodeling unit starts acting.

Which lay down organize lamellar bone to create a brand new Haversian system.

 

So this was a brief description of the bone healing process.

 

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Ankle sprain VS Broken Ankle

Ankle Sprain VS Broken Ankle

Ankle fractures and Sprain are two different entities. Ankle injuries are by far one of the commonest orthopedic injuries. It’s very common because as you walk you might just twist your ankle and that can lead to an injury. This injury can be a sprain or a fracture.

What is a sprain?

A sprain is an injury to the ligament. A sprain occurs when one or more of your ligaments has been stretched twisted or torn.

 

What is a ligament?

The ligament is a connective tissue that connects two bones which form a joint. Two bones form a joint and a connecting tissue that runs from the other bone to this bone is called a ligament.

 

Sprain VS Broken bone

So when the ligament gets injured so that is called a sprain. The bone which it is connecting breaks you call a fracture (broken bone). So there are two different entities that can happen for a similar type of injury.

 

Sprain-VS-Fracture

 

For example, when you’re walking you know your ankle might just twist and might have a fault. This can lead to either a ligament injury or a bony injury.

Bony injury is a fracture and a ligament injury is a sprain. So depending on which is the injury your recorded period, will be accordingly.

Also Read: Types of Bone Fractures: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

 

How much time does it take Sprain to recover?

It is recommended you should stop using a sprained joint because the injury will heal quicker. If you begin to move it as soon as possible, but avoid overusing it.

So a sprain generally takes three to five weeks to heal by the end of six weeks you should be able to walk normally and do most of your activates as you would be doing earlier.

A total recovery period meaning the internal healing may take another six weeks. So a total of about two and a half to three months it will heal completely.

Also Read: Ankle Sprain Symptoms, 3-grade Classification, & Treatment

 

How much time does it take a fracture to recover?

A fracture will take a longer time to heal because a bone to bone healing or bone to the bone union will take a longer time to happen.

So the healing period is a minimum of six to eight weeks and the further recovery will be another one and a half to two months to get your complete moment to do all your activities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ankle Sprain

Ankle Sprain: Symptoms, 3 grade Classification, & Treatment

In this article, today we are going to talk about an Ankle sprain.

I have covered the anatomy first and then what actually happening when an ankle sprain happens? And then why it happens? And how to prevent the ankle sprain?

Anatomy of a Sprain: (What is Ankle Sprain?)

 

Your ankle functions as a hinge joint. The unique design makes it a very stable joint.

Ankle stability is crucial because your ankle has to support half of your body weight when you walk and up to eight times your body weight when you run.

Normal ankle function is essential in walking, running, and jumping. Your ankle stability is supported by the muscles, tendons, and ligaments surrounding your joints.

First of all, we have a bone that’s called Tibia. Alongside it, on the outside, we have a bone called Fibula. And sitting in the middle of both of these bones is a bone called the talus. Hooked on the talus is the rest of the foot and ankle.

Sprains are injuries to ligaments that cause overstretching or tearing. These ligaments are responsible for connecting the bones. Ankle sprains are common injuries that happen to patients like young and old.

Sprains of these ligaments usually occur when your ankle is twisted or turned in.

Depending on your injury, the ligaments can be either partially or completely torn.

 

What are the most common causes of ankle sprains?

 

The most common causes of ankle sprains are typically injuries with athletes and people who are walking on uneven surfaces.

The most common ankle sprain that people see is often one where the ankle rolls inwards and it causes tearing or stretching of the ligaments on the outside of the ankle.

 

Ankle sprains could be classified in two ways:

Lateral Ankle Sprains:

Which is the most common ankle sprain. And there are typically three grades to those.

  1. Grade 1 sprain (Mild): Mild injury to the ankle’s main ligament.
  2. Grade 2 sprain (Moderate): Partial tearing to multiple ligaments.
  3. Grade 3 sprain (Severe): Severe tearing which affects all three main ligaments of the ankle.

 

High Ankle Sprains:

The second type of injury is called a high ankle sprain. And that’s typically when an injury occurs to the ankle where the foot will turn outward.

And the ligaments are damaged that connect the two bones of the legs called the tibia and the fibula together.

And those ligaments can either stretch or tear. And that can be somewhat of a more debilitating injury than your typical lateral ankle sprain.

If those ligaments get torn those two bones will piston and separate when you walk and that can cause a significant injury to the point where it can need surgical correction.

 

Ankle Sprain Symptoms:

 

Swelling:

You can see a Grade 1 ankle sprain. Which will often appear with some swelling on the outside of the ankle.

 

Bruising:

The bruising can even extend to the toes and even up in the leg and calf. Depending on how much force the injury was sustained upon.

A Stage two injury where there’s some tearing of the ligaments can lead to the point. Where you have swelling which almost looks like a golf ball or a grapefruit on the outside of the ankle.

And obviously that bruising will cause much more significant color changes to the extremity and it’ll cause a lot more swelling to the extremity.

The reason that will swell much more is that when the ligament’s tear. The joint fluid can actually leave the ankle and start to collect underneath the skin and will cause the focal amount of swelling.

 

Possible fracture:

Oftentimes a high ankle sprain will even cause a fracture to the upper bone of the leg called a fibula, just below the knee.

So you can often see swelling from the knee or the lower thigh down to the toes.

And the bruising can kind of follows that swelling path as well.

 

Difficulty walking:

The patient had difficulty walking. Especially on incline or decline. Patients will often describe a situation where they have a difficult time going downstairs, but going upstairs they have the ability to be comfortable.

Many times with a Grade 1 or Grade 2 injury the patient can walk flat-footed without pain. It’s when they try to do any hyperextension or hyperflexion that’s the injury can become very noticeable.

And it’s often noted that when people have ankle injuries the first three or four days are the most painful because that’s when the swelling is really starting to penetrate the joint.

As the body starts to adjust for the amount of swelling, that’s when the ankle injury will start to settle down.

 

How is an ankle sprain diagnosed?

The treatment is typically non-surgical you go to your doctor or you go to an orthopedic surgeon they’re going to examine your ankle maybe get X-rays to rule out that you broke a bone or a fracture.

Usually, we don’t need to get an MRI because the diagnosis at least at first is pretty straightforward.

 

How is an ankle sprain treated?

So early on you’re going to try things like ice and elevation may be compression with an ace wrap or something like that to get the swelling down.

You go to the doctor they may put you in a pain relief brace of some sort to give you stability side to side.

They’ll probably also ask to work with a physical therapist at first. That’s getting motion back and getting strengthen your ankle and foot in your leg.

So that you can regain your joint position sense. So that your ankle can stabilize itself on uneven surfaces.

 

 

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Types of Bone Fractures: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

What is Bone Fracture?

A fracture is a medical term for a ‘broken bone’. It is a medical condition distinguished by a partial or complete break in the continuity of the bone.

Most human bones are strong and can generally withstand strong impact or forces.

However, bones break when the pressure or force applied to them is more than what they can normally withstand or if there is something wrong with them.

Bones are the skeleton of the body that allows us to interact with our surroundings. They act as attachment points for muscles that allow running, jumping, sitting, kneeling, grasping, and lifting.

As we age the bones become breakable and the force they can handle or withstand reduces. This increases the risk of fracture, immediate medical care is needed after a bone is fractured.

As serious fractures can have severe complications if not treated right away. Complications include damage to the blood vessels and infections of the bone or surrounding tissue.

Types of Fractures:

1. Transverse fracture 

In a transverse fracture, the fracture line is almost perpendicular to the long axis of the bone.

Such a fracture is caused by bending force resulting from the direct blow by a moving object or by the bone striking a resistance object.

Transverse fracture

 

2. Oblique fracture

As the name suggests in an oblique fracture. The fracture line is oblique and makes an acute angle with the long axis of the bone.

Such a fracture is caused by bending force which in addition has a component along the long axis of the bone.

oblique fracture

 

3. Spiral fracture

In a spiral fracture, the fracture line runs spirally in more than one plane.

Such a fractured is caused by an indirect rotational or twisting force with increasing energy transfer the spiral fractures may have butterfly fragments.

Spiral fracture

 

4. Segmental fracture

In a segmental fracture there are two fractures in one bone but at different levels leading to a free segment in between.

Segmental fracture

 

5. Impacted fracture

A fracture where one fragment of bone goes into another. Bone fragments are driven into each other.

Impacted fracture

 

6. Aulsion fracture

A fracture where a fragment of bone is separated or pulled off by a ligament or tendon.

Avulsion fracture

 

7. Complete fracture

A fracture in which the bone breaks completely.

Types of complete fracture are:

1. Comminuted fracture

Bone fragments break into three or more pieces.

Comminuted fracture

 

2. Single fracture

Bone fragments break in one place into two pieces.

 

3. Non-Displaced fracture

Bone fragments break into pieces and stay in their normal alignment.

Non-Displaced fracture

 

4. Displaced fracture

Bone fragment breaks into pieces that shift off their normal alignment.

Displaced fracture

 

5. Incomplete fracture

The bone doesn’t break completely. Incomplete fractures are more common in children. Whose bones are softer and more elastic.

Incomplete fracture

 

Types of incomplete fractures are:

1. Greenstick fracture

The bone partly fractures on one side while the rest of the bone is bent.

Greenstick fracture

 

3. Hairline fracture

A partial fracture of the bone usually in a thin crack.

Hairline fracture

 

4. Torus (buckle) fracture

The bone is broken on one side and a bump or raised buckle grows on the other side.

Torus (buckle) fracture

 

Types of fracture Displacement:

The fracture displacement is described in terms of change in length, angulation, rotation, and translation.

Change in Length

Let’s see how a displaced fracture cause’s change in the limb length. Apposition is the amount of end-to-end contact of the fracture fragments.

 

Displacement fracture (Apposition)Displacement fracture (Bayonet apposition)Displacement fracture (Bayonet apposition VS Bayonet rifle) (1)

 

Bayonet apposition means overlap of the fracture fragments in the longitudinal axis here the bone ends have no contact and have slipped past each other the fracture is called “off-ended”. This results in a shortening of the limb length.

The bayonet apposition gets its name from the bayonet rifle.

Excessive traction may result in the opposite deformity leading to distraction

Displacement fracture in excessive traction

 

Angulation

Angulation is described by the reference to the apex of the fracture in the coronal plane a fracture with displacement of the distal fragments towards the midline with its apex pointing laterally is said to be in Varus.

Displacement fracture Angulation (Varus)

 

A fracture with its displacement of the distal fragment away from the midline with the apex pointing towards the midline is said to be in Valgus.

Displacement fracture Angulation (Valgus)

 

Sagittal Plane

In the sagittal plane, a fracture with its apex pointing posteriorly is said to have posterior angulation or to line extension.

Sagittal Plane

 

Finally, where the apex points anteriorly the fracture has anterior angulation or lies inflection.

Rotation

A fracture may be rotated internally or externally. This is judged by the appearance of the two bone ends and the position of the distal part of the limb clinically.

Displacement fracture Rotation

 

Translation

Translation occurs when the fracture surfaces have shifted sideways relative to each other depending on the position of the distal fragment.

A fracture may be translated medially, laterally, anteriorly, posteriorly, or even a combination of these.

 

Displacement fracture Translation

 

Relationship with External Environment:

On the basis of relationship with the external environment. Fractures can be classified as either closed or open.

Closed fracture

A closed fracture is a fracture not communicating with the external environment that is the overlying skin and soft tissues are intact.

Closed fracture

 

Open fracture

Whereas a fracture with a break in the overlying skin and the soft tissues leading to the fracture communicating with the external environment is called an open fracture.

Open fracture

With an open fracture, there is a high risk of infection.

Etiology of fracture:

1. Traumatic fracture

Traumatic fracture is a fracture of a bone following direct or indirect violence.

A normal healthy bone breaks only when it is subjected to excessive force.

Hence, these fractures are caused by the action of an abnormal excessive force on a normal healthy bone.

Examples of traumatic fractures include fractures caused by a fall, road traffic accident, fight, etc.

 

2. Pathological fracture

This type is a result of an underlying condition or disease that has already weakened the bone. Such as cancer or osteoporosis.

 

3. Stress fracture

Stress or fatigue fracture results from the cyclical application of the normal forces in excessive frequency to the normal bone of a healthy patient leading to a break in bony trabeculae.

The classic examples include second metatarsal fractures of army recruits popularly known as the March fracture.Stress fracture

The fracture of the navicular bone in athletes. Stress fractures are typically seen in military personals, athletes, or dancers. When the intensity of the exercise is significantly increased from the baseline.

Stress fracture

 

Quantum of force:

 

On the basis of the quantum of force causing the fracture. The fractures can be classified into high and low-velocity injuries.

A high-velocity injury is caused by severe trauma force as in a road traffic accident. These fractures are associated with severe soft tissue injury with extensive devascularisation of the fracture ends.

These are usually more complex fractures and difficult to treat. Such fractures are often unstable and slow to heal.

The low-velocity injuries are caused by mild trauma force as in a fall. There is little associated soft tissue injury.

 

Symptoms:

 

  • Intense pain in the sight of the injury.
  • Swelling, bruising, and redness in the injured area.
  • Deformity in the injured area.
  • Difficulty moving or supporting the weight with the affected area.

 

Causes of Fractures:

 

  • Falls, direct blows, or strikes to the body.
  • Injuries from sports osteoporosis repetitive forces caused by running, automobile accidents.
  • Risk factors may include being old, smoking, alcoholism, and use of corticosteroids being physically inactive.

Diagnosis:

 

The doctor will ask about symptoms. Examine the injury and look for other injuries that may have occurred.

The American Academy of orthopaedic surgeons provides that x-rays are the most common method of diagnosing a fracture.

They help in visualizing the bone and revealing breaks and other signs of damage as well as in determining the location and type of the fracture.

In cases where x-ray alone is insufficient CT scan or MRI may be used.

 

Treatment:

 

Treatment options depend on the type and location of the fracture.

The first goal of treatment is to try to put the broken pieces back into their proper position and stabilize them as they heal.

Pieces of broken bones should be kept immobile until they are together.

A cast may be used to stabilize the broken bone. The cast may be made of fiber or glass and it will help stabilizer the injured area and keep broken pieces compact until they heal.

Complex injuries may require surgery.

Conclusion:

 

This was all about types of fractures and their mechanisms.

So, if you have gained knowledge from this article, so please share this article and spread the knowledge with your friends and family.

Or maybe if I didn’t mention the fracture type which you wanted to read.

Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below right now.

 

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Causes of Ankle Fracture

The most common bone and joint injuries are ankle injuries. How you should be careful about your ankle injury is depending upon the degree of pain, inability to walk and if the bone is broken or not. Most of the time, the doctor also has the same concern, is there a broken bone? Because diagnosing sprain, dislocation or tendon injury is much easier than diagnosing a fracture.

Let’s see what the main causes of an ankle fracture are. But before that, we need to know the structure of the ankle joint. It is made up of 3 bones coming together.

The tibia- It is the main bone of the lower leg, makes up the inside of the ankle joint.

The fibula- It is a smaller bone that parallels the tibia in the lower leg. It makes up the outside of the ankle joint.

The talus- Both the tibia and fibula are known as the singular is malleolus. Together they form an arch that sits on top of the talus.

These 3 bones- the tibia, fibula, and talus make up the bony elements of the ankle joint. It is stabilized by several ligaments that hold these bones in place.

Ankle Fracture Causes

Stress is the most common cause of an ankle fracture. If you stress an ankle joint beyond strength, you injure the joint. If there is only wear and tear on the ligaments then you have sprained the ankle. In case of breaking bones, you have an ankle fracture. It can occur with simultaneous tears of the ligaments. These are the reasons for ankle fracture:

  • Twisting the ankle side to side
  • Rolling the ankle in or out
  • A strong force applied to the joint by coming straight down on it as in jumping from a high level
  • Flexing or extending the joint

This is the general information about the causes of Ankle Fracture. We recommend you to take your doctor’s advice for proper guidance. We hope this information adds value to your knowledge. Watch out this space for more such information. Greetings for SYS Medtech International PVT. LTD.

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