Greenstick Fracture Treatment | Greenstick Fracture Surgery

Comprehensive Information on Greenstick Fracture. Bones are strong otherwise they would not be able to support the entire weight of the human body. These bones that lend support to the muscles are powered by calcium phosphate, the mineral that helps make the bones dense. Thus, it would take a strong external force for the bone to break. Sometimes, a light fall would not result to any bone fracture. This is a condition of the bone wherein a crack or a break is spotted due to severe trauma. A strong bone would not easily get broken, which is why only severe trauma would cause a fracture. Fractures are bound to happen when the bones hit a hard surface or object with a really strong impact.

There are actually many types of bone fractures that can be indentified. This classification of the fractures is necessary to identify them based on the characteristic of the fracture, the location of the injured bone, or sometimes, the discoverer of the kind of bone breakage. There are already many identified fractures such as comminuted fracture that has fragmented bones; boxers fracture that is identified by broken metacarpal bones; dancers fracture that has a metatarsal bone cracked or broken; foot stress fracture that is cause by overusing the bones; and many others.

Greenstick Fracture Definition

Greenstick fracture is another type of fracture. This is actually a fractured young bone that is not yet developed, which makes it softer to break. Greenstick fractures in children are common because their bones are still very soft, without the aged deposit of calcium phosphate that older people have. As the humans begin to grow with age, the bones would also be busy collecting calcium phosphate which is the mineral that makes the bones denser and harder. In infants and little children, the bones are still fragile that they can easily break, making them more prone to several fracture types. Greenstick fractures usually have the age group of infants and children as the patients.

Greenstick bone fracture is a name that originated from the way a green wood easily breaks and shows the broken part as a bent portion of the wood. The fractured wrist, arm or any other bone in this type of fracture will be evidently bent due the high impact force that has hit it. Moreover, the bone with the fracture injury also breaks apart. Thus, it is just like a delicate twig has been broken apart as well. A broken twig would be broken into two but only one half is actually broken greenstick bones while the other one is still intact. Greenstick fracture in children easily happens due to how soft, brittle, and flexible their bones are. Thus, it is best if parents know the first aid of this fracture. This will help them save their kids’ greenstick bone fracture from getting worse.

This type of broken bone is best shown by an actual greenstick fracture picture, with some that can be researched on the Internet. Children are like balls of energy who love to move around. It is during one of their activities that they might get greenstick bone fracture. However, older people with brittle bones due to age and certain diseases, like osteoporosis, can also have greenstick type fracture. This can be a fracture of wrist, forearm, and other bones. Another greenstick fracture definition is that it is an incomplete fracture. This fractured greenstick bone is discovered by Michael Slupecki, a Polish-American orthopedist, and John Insall, a British-American orthopedist.

Forms

To define greenstick fracture by form, there are three of them that should be identified. This is to make sure that the right way to treat greenstick fracture should be known. These different types of greenstick fracture are:

• Transverse fracture. This fracture type refers to a break in the cortex than runs up to the middle part of the bone.
• Bow fracture. This refers to a break that follows a curved form around the fracture’s longitudinal axis.
• Buckling fracture. This is also called a torus fracture that has a buckled effect on the broken bone.

Greenstick Fractures Causes

The usual cause of greenstick bone breakage is a fall that is strong enough to bend the affected bone that got a direct hit from the impact. Another cause of this impacted fracture would be trauma from a strong blow to the bone. The bone with greenstick injury would be broken into two parts, with one of the parts being too damaged. However, the normal part is still not safe from being stressed because it would be bent along with the severed part of the bone. Thus, greenstick fracture in children and even in older people should be handled carefully or both the fragments would be broken.

Greenstick Fracture Symptoms

There several fracture symptoms that should be noted. Pain can be felt on the part that is broken. The patient might even feel the same level of pain that is felt by those with broken long bones. Infants with this fracture would keep on crying due to the injury. Older children are more fortunate because they can already tell where the pain is, which will make it so much easier for the fracture to be identified. The fractured area can be identified though by the swelling and the bruises. If it is not black and blue, it could be a red spot. Due to the incomplete break of the fractured parts, this fracture is considered as a stable fracture. Instead of being broken, the intact bone would show a bend. Deformed bones, which are the case of some other types of fractures, are bigger problems to deal with. According to usual prognosis, greenstick fracture radius, or any other type of this fracture, can heal easily. Thus, recovery time would be shorter compared to others. Some would take more than a month as fracture healing time alone.

Greenstick Fracture Diagnosis

Some diagnostic tests need to be performed for the doctor to know how greenstick fracture wrist, or other bones, should be treated. The patient needs to have a greenstick fracture x-ray for the doctor to know just what kind of greenstick fracture treatment has to be done. Basically, x-ray and CT are used to make a diagnosis that will help the doctor know what treatment and medicines to prescribe for greenstick fracture forearm. The patient can also take greenstick fracture pictures in order to monitor the fracture. Once things take a turn for the worse, the doctor should be called again. The pictures will also be of great help to the doctor too. It is important to rush to the doctor right after the injury happened. The more one delays consultation the worse the types of bone fractures would become.

Greenstick Fracture Treatment

Fracture surgery is not the only treatment option available for greenstick fracture. There are many ways on how to heal this fracture. However, it is also best to watch out for some fracture complications and other risks before everything would become worse. These are the available treatments for greenstick fracture aside from taking pain relieving emedicine:

• Reduction. The apex of the fractured bone is pressed hard to put the bone back into place. A fracture brace or traction can be used to continue the straightening effort to start the healing process.
• Fracture cast application. After the surgery, the cast can be used to further correct the bone. Rehabilitation will then start while the cast is worn for three to four weeks. The duration of wearing the cast will depend on the extent of the damage on the bone. Physical therapy as rehab can be done after the removal of the cast. This process is still necessary in order to carefully teach the restored bone once more as to how it should move. It should not have sudden movements and should not be used to lift object that are heavy. Even if the cast is already removed, it would take months for the fracture to fully recover, which is why patience is necessary while waiting for the greenstick fracture healing time.