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A broken bone is often a serious injury with long-term impacts on your health and earning ability. If you’ve recently suffered a broken bone, it’s a good idea to understand what to expect from the treatment and recovery process.
Here’s what you need to know about broken bones, medical treatment, and how a personal injury attorney can help you recover personal injury compensation.
Forming the structure of the human body, bones are complex structures made up of three types of tissue: a hard outer tissue, a sponge-like inner tissue, and a smooth tissue that attaches the bone via cartilage to other body parts. At the center of a bone lies marrow, a fatty substance in which blood cells are produced.
These tissues form a pathway for blood and lymph vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients that the bone needs to be healthy. Groups of muscles, ligaments, and tendons connect the bones to other body parts, allowing for skeletal structure and mobility.
Bones can break in a surprising number of ways, in situations ranging from car accidents to workplace injuries.
A broken bone can be open or closed. An open break is one in which the broken parts of the bone penetrate the skin, leading to an open wound. This type of break can increase the risk of developing an infection. A closed break, on the other hand, is one in which the bone doesn’t penetrate the skin.
Certain types of broken bones are categorized by how the injury occurred. For example, a stress fracture happens through overuse or repetitive motion. Avulsion fractures are usually caused by athletic activity and involve a breaking of the part of the bone that’s attached to a muscle or ligament. Buckle fractures occur when the bone buckles under force.
However, the most common way that broken bones are categorized and diagnosed is by the type of break. While there are a variety of break patterns that can characterize a fracture, they primarily fall into two categories: breaks that do or do not form a straight line.
As the name implies, straight-line fractures are breaks that appear as a straight line. While these can still be serious breaks, they’re often easier to treat and less likely to result in complications or long-term issues than complex breaks.
A longitudinal fracture appears as a line down the length of a bone. A transverse fracture cuts directly across the bone in a straight line, cutting it in two. An oblique fracture involves a straight line cutting diagonally across the bone.
Depending on the length of the straight-line fracture and the size of the affected bone, recovery times vary. However, treatment tends to be more straightforward with this type of break, as it’s typically easy for medical professionals to set a bone when the break occurs in a straight line.
Broken bones that do not break in a straight line are known as complex fractures. Treatment, recovery, and long-term outcomes tend to vary more widely with these kinds of breaks.
A segmented fracture involves the bone breaking in multiple places, with a section of bone in the middle that is disconnected from the ends. A comminuted fracture also involves breaks in multiple locations, but it also often involves a shattered bone, which can be extremely difficult to treat.
A spiral fracture occurs when the break line has the appearance of a spiral, wrapping around the length of the bone. One final type of break that doesn’t appear in a straight line is a greenstick fracture. This is a partial break most common in children and is usually not serious.
Broken bone injuries can occur in various ways. Some of the most common types of accidents that result in a broken bone include:
The type of accident that results in a broken bone matters because it has a direct impact on whether you can recover personal injury compensation. If your personal injury attorney can build a case for liability and identify a source of compensation, you might be able to file a claim and get help with costs like medical bills and lost wages.
Broken bones require immediate medical treatment. Sometimes, visible bone or obvious disfigurement makes it easy to immediately see that a bone was broken in an accident. Other times, a broken bone requires X-ray imaging to confirm.
Once a broken one is diagnosed, the medical team will identify an appropriate course of treatment. In straightforward cases, a fractured bone may only require a cast or splint. By immobilizing the injury, the bone can heal over time without too much medical intervention.
In other cases, a broken bone can require much more invasive forms of medical treatment. If the bone is bruised or shattered, it’s likely that surgery will be required. If the damage to the bone is severe, it might be necessary to permanently insert metal plates or rods to help provide support and stability.
Sometimes, a broken bone leads to additional injuries like nerve damage. Organ damage is also a risk if the broken parts of the bone puncture organs like the lungs. Open fractures and breaks that require surgery lead to an increased risk of infection.
Long-term outcomes for a broken bone depend heavily on the location and extent of the damage. For example, broken bones in the spine can cause spinal cord damage that brings a risk of permanent paralysis. Breaks to bones in the arms or legs might lead to issues with chronic pain, reduced mobility, and loss of strength.
Fractures that have a lasting impact on your health and physical function can have a devastating effect on your earning ability and quality of life. Therefore, it’s always worth consulting a personal injury attorney about your options for recovering compensation for a broken bone.
If you’ve suffered broken bones in a personal injury accident, you could be entitled to compensation from the at-fault party. Contact Davis Law Group Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Seattle personal injury attorney. We can help you understand your rights and options for pursuing compensation.
We proudly serve King County in Washington and it’s surrounding areas. Visit our law office at:
Davis Law Group Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers
2101 4th Ave 1030
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 727 4000
Hours: Open 24/7
2101 4th Ave #1030,
Seattle, WA 98121
Phone: 206-727-4000
Complete this CONFIDENTIAL form or call 206-539-0939 for a FREE consultation.
Complete this CONFIDENTIAL form or call 206-727-4000 for a FREE consultation.
