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Many people experience long-term pain after a knee fracture. Over time, cartilage loss means that bones rub against each other, causing inflammation and pain. PTA occurs when there is damage to the cartilage covering the ends of bones. The most common complication from a knee fracture is PTA, a type of arthritis that develops after an injury. Many complications can arise from a knee fracture, including: Post-traumatic arthritis (PTA) The surgeon will remove them and reattach the patellar tendon to the remaining patella bone. In comminuted fractures, some pieces of bone may be too small to reattach. They may use screws, pins, and wires to hold the pieces of knee bone together. Surgeons can realign the knee and remove any unnecessary bone fragments. If a fracture involves any displacement or other complications, such as dislocations or open wounds, then surgery may be necessary to repair the damage. A doctor will give guidance based on a person’s injury. Some people may be able to bear weight on the leg while wearing a cast, but this is not advisable for other fractures. Doctors may apply a cast or splint to the knee to prevent movement and keep the bones in place while they heal. The treatment for hairline breaks is immobilization for a number of weeks.
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The bone breaks the skin, and bacteria that usually live on the body can enter the wound and cause an infection.ĭoctors will recommend surgical or nonsurgical treatments depending on the severity and location of the fracture. This type of fracture is particularly serious because it carries a higher risk of infection.
#Compound femur break skin#
This often damages surrounding soft tissues, which can take time to heal.Ī break in the skin causes an open fracture. In an open fracture, the bone breaks so that bone fragments stick out through the skin or a wound penetrates down to the bone. If the fracture pattern is unstable, surgery may be necessary to repair or remove one or more pieces of bone. If the pattern of the fracture is stable, it is best to treat the injury with immobilization. To diagnose a comminuted fracture, a doctor will examine the bone. The bone shatters into three or more pieces in this type of fracture. They do not align properly, and this type of fracture often requires surgery to realign and stabilize the broken bone. Displaced fractureĪ displaced fracture occurs when a break in one or more of the bones causes the bones to shift out of place.
#Compound femur break crack#
They occur when there is no break in any of the bones, but there is a crack or chip in one or more of them. In this type of fracture, the pieces of bone remain either in contact with each other or just a millimeter or two away. Doctors categorize fractures into different types depending on the exact displacement of the bones.
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