An open fracture occurs when a broken bone or cartilage breaks through the skin or the skin is damaged during the injury. It must be treated immediately by a doctor to avoid infection. Surgery is required to clean the bone and remove bone fragments and shredded tissue. The bone will be pushed back into place and stabilized with screws, nails, or plates. If not treated properly, an infection of the bone may result.
An open fracture, also known as a compound fracture, means that a broken bone or cartilage has broken through the skin or that the skin has been damaged during the injury. Protrusion of the bone by airborne elements, dirt, or other materials greatly increases the chance of infection or disease in the bone. An open fracture must be treated immediately by a doctor.
Open fractures occur when too much pressure is placed on the bone, usually in a fall, car accident, sports, or gunshot wound. Compound fractures can occur more easily if a person has osteoporosis due to fragile bones, and children are more likely to suffer a fracture because their bones are softer during their developmental years. A fracture is classified as open if the skin is damaged or the bone penetrates the skin, while closed fractures are contained within the skin and there is no risk of infection from environmental elements. Broken bones are classified by which bone was broken, such as the tibia or femur, and how the bone fragments are aligned. Types of fracture classifications include depressed, linear, spiral, or impacted.
Depending on how the injury occurred and whether the crash caused dirt, gravel, dirty water, or other substances to contaminate the fracture, the bone and surrounding tissue will need to be cleaned during a procedure known as debridement. Surgery is almost always required for a patient with an open fracture. The patient will be placed under anesthesia to thoroughly clean the bone, and bone fragments and shredded tissue will be removed during the procedure. Antibiotic liquids will be used to clean the area. A tetanus shot may also be given to prevent the disease.
To allow the bone to heal back together, the bone will be pushed back into place, sometimes with screws, nails or plates, and the patient will wear a cast or splint to provide stability and immobilize the bone during the healing process . Internal nails are sometimes attached to an external frame to prevent movement. A fracture usually heals within six weeks, but if there are complications or if the person is elderly, healing may take 12 weeks.
If an open fracture is not treated properly, an infection of the bone, also known as osteomyelitis, can result. Multiple surgeries may be needed to remove infected tissue and bone and drain the fluid. Depending on the severity of the infection, bone grafting may be completed to aid in the healing process. If these steps are not taken, the bone may heal misshapen or the ends of the broken bone will not join together during the healing process.
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