About Breaks and Sprains

About Breaks and Sprains

The body has about 200 bones and over 600 muscles that can get hurt.

Bone and muscle injuries are seldom life-threatening, but they are usually painful, and, if not properly treated, can be potentially disabling. Here’s a breakdown of the things than can go wrong with all those bones, joints, ligaments, and tendons that hold our frames together.

Fracture: Breaks, chips, or cracks in a bone. They may be either open or closed and either compound or simple. An open fracture is one in which the bone has torn the skin and produced an open wound that can cause bleeding and lead to infection. A closed fracture involves no broken skin and is usually less serious.

Dislocation: A separation of a bone from its normal joint position, putting the joint out of commission. The displacement often leaves a bump, ridge, or hollow where the bone and joint should fit naturally.

Sprain: Occurs when there is a tear in the ligaments that hold bones together at a joint. The joints most often involved are the ankle, knee, wrist, and fingers. In serious sprains, there may also be a fracture or dislocation at the joint in question.

Strain: Results from stretching and tearing of muscles or tendons in areas such as the neck, back, or thigh. Tendons are fibers that connect a muscle to a bone, as opposed to ligaments, which connect two bones at a joint.

About Breaks and Sprains. Photo by Elena

Contrary to what some may thing, splinting isn’t only reserved for fractures. Sprains and strains may also require splinting on occasion. But this should only be done if the victim needs moving from the accident scene and it can’t be done by a trained rescue unit. Don’t attempt it unless you can do it without putting the victim in more pain than he already feels. Detailed instructions from the American Red Cross follow :

If a person is unable to move or use an injured leg…

Step 1. Support the injured area above and below the site of the injury.

Step 2 : Check for feeling, warmth, and color before and after splinting to make sure the splint is not too tight. Then… 

To apply anatomic splint to injured thigh or foreleg (first follow steps one and two):

Step 3. Place injured limb next to uninjured area. You can splint an arm to the chest or an injured leg to the other one.

Step 4. Place injured limb next to uninjured area. You can splint an arm to the chest or an injured leg to the other one.

Step 5. Tie tringular bandages securely.

Step 6. Recheck for feeling, warmth, and color. If cold or pale, loosen the splint a little bit. Apple ice and raise injured limb.

To apply soft splint to an injured ankle (first follow steps one and two):

Step 3. Place several folded bandages above and below the injured area.

Step 4. Gently wrap a soft object (folded blanket or a pillow) around the injured.

Step 5. Tie triangluar bandages securely.

Step 6. Recheck for feeling, warmth, and color. If you are not able to check warmth and color because a sock or shoe is in place, check for feeling.

If a person is unable to move or use an injured arm…

Step 1. Support the injured area above and below the site of the injury.

Step 2. Check for feeling, warmth, and color before splinting to make sure the splint is not too tight. Then…

To apply a sling to splint an injured arm (first follow steps one and two, see above, then):

Step 3. Place triangular bandage under injured arm and over uninjured shoulder to form a sling.

Step 4 : The ends of sling at side side of neck.

Step 5. Bind injured area to chest with folded triangular bandage. Recheck for feeling, warmth, and color.

Apply a rigid splint to an injured forearm or wrist (First follow steps one and two, described above, and then):

Step 3. Place the rigid splint (board, magazine, etc.) under the injured area and the joints that are above and below it.

Step 4. Tie several folded triangular bandaged above and below the injured area.

Step 5. Recheck for feeling, warmth, and color. If cold or pale, loosen a little.

Note: If a rigid splint is used on a forearm, elbow must also be immobilized. Bind the arm to the chest with folded triangular bandages or use a slin