How to Recognize a Fracture Without X-Rays

Fractures occur when enough force is applied to the bone, such as falling from a swing or tripping a step, or worse, in a car accident. Fractures need to be evaluated and treated by a medical professional to reduce potential complications and maximize bone and joint recovery. Although fractures are as common in children as in adults with osteoporosis, about seven million people break a bone each year of all ages. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Table of Contents

Situation Assessment

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Find out what happened. If you are the traumatized person, determine what happened right before the pain. If you are helping someone, ask them what happened before the accident. Most fractures require enough force to crack or break a bone. Determining the cause of the injury helps you assess whether a bone has broken. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Force enough to break a bone can happen when you fall, get into a motorcycle accident, or hit a bone directly, such as while playing sports.
Bones can also break in violent situations, such as physical abuse, or when subjected to repetitive force, such as when jogging.

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Determine if you need other support services. Knowing the cause of your injury will not only help you assess the possibility of a fracture, but also determine if you need help. You may have to contact emergency services, call the police in the event of a car accident, or child support services when it is a case of child abuse.

If the injury is unlikely to cause a fracture (for example, a sprain, which is when a ligament is overstretched or even torn), but the casualty is in great pain, then you should call 911. offer to take them to a nearby clinic or hospital if the injury and/or pain is not urgent (eg, the wound is not bleeding heavily, the victim can talk normally, without interruption, etc.) ..).
If the victim is unconscious or unable to communicate, or if they do communicate but the information is not coherent, you should call 911 immediately as this is a sign of a head injury. See Part Two below.

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Find information about what is felt or heard when an injury occurs. Ask the victim how he or she was feeling or experiencing at the time of the fall. People with fractures often describe hearing or “feeling” a snap in the fracture. So if they say they heard a click, this is a clear sign that something has broken. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

They may also describe a creaking sensation or sound (such as bones rubbing against each other) when moving the area, even if they don’t feel pain right away. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Find information about pain sensations. When a bone breaks, the body immediately responds with pain. The fracture itself and any trauma to the muscle tissue near the fracture site (such as muscles, ligaments, nerves, blood vessels, cartilage, and tendons) can cause pain. There are three levels of pain that you need to pay attention to:

Acute pain — This is intense pain and usually occurs after a bone has broken. If you feel extreme pain this could be a sign of a broken bone.
Subacute pain — This type of pain occurs during the first few weeks after the fracture, especially while the fracture is healing. It is basically caused by muscle tension and weakness, which is the effect of immobilization while waiting for the bone to heal (such as when in a cast or sling).
Chronic pain — This is pain that persists, even after bone and tissue have healed, and can persist for weeks or months after a fracture.
Note that you may experience some or all of these types of pain. Some people experience acute and subacute pain but not chronic pain, while others may experience a fracture with no pain or very little pain, as with a broken little toe or spine.

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Look for external signs of broken bones. There are a number of signs that can indicate a broken bone, including: ^{[5] X Source of Research}^{[6] X Source of Research}

The fracture site is deformed and moves in an unusual direction
Hematoma, internal bleeding or bruising
Difficulty moving the broken bone
This area looks shorter, twisted or curved
Loss of strength in the injured area
Loss of normal mobility in the area
Shock
Lots of swelling
Stiffness or tingling in or below the suspected fracture area

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Look for other symptoms of a fracture if none are visible. In the case of minor fractures, there may be no sign of deformity and only mild swelling, making it difficult to see with the naked eye. So you have to do a more detailed evaluation to determine if the bone is broken or not. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Often broken bones will cause people to adjust their behavior. For example, they often avoid putting pressure or pressure on the affected area. This is a sign that something is wrong, even if you cannot see the broken bone with the naked eye.
Consider these three examples: a broken bone in the ankle or leg will cause so much pain that the victim does not want to bear the weight on that leg; pain from a broken bone in an arm or hand often makes you more inclined to protect and not use that arm; The pain of broken ribs makes it impossible to take a deep breath.

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Look for pain in one spot. A broken bone can be detected by a point of pain, meaning that when you press on the area where the broken bone is, the pain will be concentrated in one spot, as opposed to pain over a large area. In other words, pain is at its peak whenever pressure is applied near the broken bone. When there is pain at one point, there is a high chance that the bone has broken. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Pain that is widespread to palpation (mild pressure or thrust) with a width greater than three fingers is more likely to result from damage to ligaments, tendons, or other tissue.
Note that severe bruising or swelling soon after an injury is an indication of tissue damage, not a fracture.

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Take care when caring for children with suspected fractures. Keep these factors in mind if you want to determine if a child under the age of 12 has broken a bone. In general, you should take your child to see a doctor for a formal diagnosis if you suspect he’s broken a bone, as that can affect bone growth. This way your child will receive proper and timely treatment. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Young children often cannot accurately perceive pain in one spot. Their pain response is more general in character than that of adults.
It is very difficult for children to judge how much pain they are experiencing.
The pain from fractures in children is also very different because their bones have a different elasticity. Children’s bones are more prone to bending or cracking instead of breaking.
You are the one who knows your child best, if his behavior indicates more pain than a normal injury then he needs medical attention.

Immediate care

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The general rule is not to move the victim. Move the victim only if there is an imminent danger in the event of a broken bone from a strong fall or a motorcycle accident. Do not attempt to realign the bones or move the victim if they are unable to move on their own. This is to avoid further injury to them. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Do not move anyone with a broken pelvis or hip; A broken pelvis can cause a lot of blood to flow into the pelvic cavity. Instead, you should call 911 right away and wait for them to arrive. However, if a person has this injury and needs to be transported before an ambulance arrives, you need to place a pillow between their legs and tie them together. Roll them on a board to keep them in place, when rolling must roll the whole body as a whole. Keep the shoulders, hips, and feet in line and roll the whole body while another person slides the board under the victim’s hips. The board should be long enough from the middle of the back to the knees. ^{[11] X Trusted Source Harvard Medical Schop Go to Source}
Do not move people at risk of back or neck fracture. Leave them where they are found and call 911 immediately. Do not try to straighten your back or neck. Tell emergency personnel you suspect a back or neck fracture and why. Moving the victim can cause serious long-term damage, including paralysis.

Seek medical care

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Call 911 immediately if the fracture requires medical attention. If you see any of the following signs, you need to call 911. If you cannot directly call an ambulance, ask someone else to call immediately. ^{[18] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

The bone is suspected of being broken as part of another serious injury.
The victim did not respond. In other words, they cannot move or talk. If they are not breathing you must perform CPR.
The victim was breathing heavily.
The limb or joint appears to be deformed or bent at an unusual angle.
The area of the broken bone is numb or blue at the tip.
The suspected fracture is in the pelvis, hip, neck, head, or back.
Excessive bleeding.

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Precautions to prevent shock. Fractures that occur in a serious accident can lead to shock. ^{[19] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to the source} While waiting for paramedics to arrive or on your way to the hospital, lay the casualty flat with feet above heart and head lower than chest if possible. If you suspect a broken leg, do not elevate it. Take a coat or blanket over the victim. ^{[20] X Research Source}

Remember not to move them if you suspect their neck or back is broken.
Help them lie down comfortably and keep them warm. Use blankets, pillows or clothing to cover the affected area. Talk to the victim to help them forget the pain. ^{[21] X Research Source}

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Apply cold to reduce swelling. Take off clothing around the broken bone and apply cold to limit swelling. Applying cold will help the doctor when having to realign the bones and also reduce pain for the victim. Do not apply directly to the skin, but wrap a towel or other material around the ice pack before applying. ^{[22] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

You can also use bags of frozen fruit and vegetables instead of ice if available.

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Always stay in touch with your doctor. You should make an appointment with your doctor or go to the hospital for an X-ray if you notice symptoms that weren’t present at the time of the injury. Go to the hospital if you or the victim feel pain in the injured area but there is no significant improvement after several days, or when you have no pain at one point several hours after the accident but an hour or two The next day, this feeling appeared. Sometimes muscle swelling can inhibit pain or tenderness at a point when palpated.

While this article is intended to help you identify a fracture without an X-ray, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible if you suspect a fracture after a fall or accident. If you continue to use a broken hand, foot or other part for a long time, whether intentionally or unintentionally, this can lead to long-term injury to that part.

Advice

You shouldn’t be stubborn without going to the hospital assuming everything is fine. A fracture is a very serious injury, and if the bone breaks through the skin, it will be even more difficult to realign the bone, in which case you will need medical attention.

Steps

Situation Assessment

Immediate care

Seek medical care

Advice

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