Blog Post

To say your bones are a crucial part of your body would be a significant understatement. Movement would be impossible without them, and some bones, like the ribs, even help to protect vital organs like your heart and lungs. 

But they do a lot more for you than that. This living tissue provides red blood cells to your body, stores minerals like calcium, and remains in a constant state of remodeling and regrowth.

Bones are also subject to injury, and sadly, cracks and fractures are all too common in people at any age. Frequently, when dealing with these injuries, you know something is wrong not long after an accident or other event. 

But is it possible to have a fractured bone and not be aware of it? How would you find out, and what can we do to treat it?

Cracked, fractured, and broken bones can make life difficult, but if you need treatment or help for other medical problems, our dedicated staff at Houston Medical ER in Houston and Spring, Texas, is here to help.

Types of bone fractures

Although the terms “breaks” and “fractures” are used separately, they refer to the same condition. We tend to think of splits and cracks in bones as fractures, but they all suggest a break that requires healing. 

There are many different types of breaks, depending on the cause and severity, which include:

• Hairline — small stress cracks that result from overuse or repetitive motion
• Greenstick — when bones crack and bend but don’t completely break
• Closed — a break that doesn’t penetrate the skin
• Open — a compound fracture that creates a wound in the skin
• Unstable — breaks that put bones out of joint alignment
• Stable — when the ends of bones break but aren’t displaced in the joint
• Comminuted — a severe break leaving the bone in multiple pieces
• Spiral — when one end is in place and the other end of the bone is twisted out of place

Reasons you may not know a bone is fractured

Obviously, minor fractures don’t present with the same severity as major fractures, but in many cases, pain, discomfort, swelling, and bruising are still present. 

Incomplete fractures (also known as minor fractures) are a type of minor fracture that can sometimes happen without you realizing you have broken a bone. 

These breaks don’t extend through a bone and often occur due to stress on the bone, which is common in athletes or other activities where you repeatedly use a specific joint in the same way. 

This also means that people can have fractured wrists, hands, or feet and not realize it, and they often heal on their own.

Treatment options

While minor fractures can heal on their own, they may not heal properly and can worsen if they fracture again. 

A brace or splint keeps minor fractures in place as they mend. If these injuries start to present with symptoms, the RICE method (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) can help reduce pain and swelling.

Minor fractures may not seem dangerous, but they can lead to more severe problems if not addressed, so contact our team at Houston Medical ER for proper diagnosis and treatment.