What Is An Avulsion Fracture?
Fractures are a condition where there are fractures or cracks in the bones that often occur due to injuries. In the avulsion fracture occurs when there is injury to the bone near the place of bone sticking to the tendon or ligament. The avulsion fracture usually occurs in people who exercise.
These fractures occur most frequently in bones in the elbow, hips, and ankles. Sometimes you can find an avulsion fracture on another bone, such as a hand, finger, shoulder, or knee.
Read also: Fracture Ankle: Definition, Causes, Symptoms, and When To See A Doctor.
What is An Avulsion fracture Causes
After knowing What Is An Avulsion Fracture definition, here are the causes of avulsion fracture.
The avulsion fracture is generally caused by trauma. These fractures usually occur when the bones move on One direction, and the tendon or ligaments are suddenly drawn in the opposite direction.
When fractures, tendons or ligaments attached to the bones pull the bone fracture fragments to avoid the remaining broken bones. Certain groups have the risk of being affected by an avulsion fracture. The groups include:
- Children: accelerated growth in children sometimes contributes to the avulsion fracture. Tendons or ligaments around the bones of the children who grow may be attracted very hard so the bones are broken. Children who exercise are most at risk of avulsion fracture.
- Athletes: Many sports involve many rotating movements, and rapid direction changes. If an athlete has an injury or a collision when they perform this kind of movement, an avulsion fracture may occur.
- Dancer: Dancers risk having avulsion fractures that affect the feet, because dancers tend to give a lot of pressure on their feet and often make sudden movements.
Symptoms
After knowing What Is An Avulsion Fracture and causes, here are the symptoms of avulsion fracture.
Symptoms of avulsion fractures include:
- Intense and sudden pain where trauma occurs
- Swelling
- Bruises
- Difficulty in moving bones or joints
- Pain when trying to move.
Diagnosis
Sometimes an avulsion fracture can be incorrectly diagnosed as muscle tension, so getting a correct diagnosis is important. A doctor can diagnose an avulsion fracture by examining injuries and performing X-rays.
As research in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery noted, misdiagnosis can cause people to receive incorrect treatment, which can cause them to perform improper exercises.
Misdiagnosis can cause:
- Nerve irritation
- Chronic pain
- Walking problems
Treatment
Applying an ice bag to the location of the avulsion fractures, and resting the injured area, is the recommended treatment option.
If the fractures have been pulled more than a few centimeters from the usual place, then surgery may be required. Most of the time, however, avulsion fracture does not require surgery.
The avulsion fracture is usually handled by:
- Resting the affected area
- Apply the ice pack
- Exercise to strengthen muscles, improve movement, and help heal bones
These steps help the affected bones get back to normal positions naturally.
Broken Avulsion in various parts of the body requires special care.
Hips or pelvis
When a person experiences an avulsion fracture to the hip or pelvis, it is able to limit their movements. One of the best ways to treat this injury is to rest.
A 2015 study showed a combination of rest and anti-inflammatory medications, allowing avulsion fractures to the pelvis to heal effectively.
The following treatments are also able to help:
- Maintain body weight from the hips or pelvis using crutches
- Apply the ice pack to the hips every day for the first few days of injury
- Doing exercises to stretch and strengthen the hips or pelvis, as recommended by the Doctor
After this treatment and getting a lot of rest usually allows the bone to return to its original position naturally. If it remains separate, then the surgery to enter a pin or screw to reattach may be required.
Read also: 8 Hip Fracture Symptoms, Causes, and Risk Factors
Fifth metatarsal of the foot
The fifth metatarsal of the foot, which is the bone at the base of the little finger, is able to be susceptible to an avulsion fracture. Dancers often experience this type of injury.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery, treatment for the avulsion fracture of the fifth metatarsal involves the use of hard-soled shoes.
One must wear hard-soled shoes until the pain disappears, revealing the fragment of the bone has been reconnected.
Read also: Stress fracture in foot: The types, causes, symptoms, how to treat it, and when to see a doctor.
Avulsion Fracture in Children
There are some concerns about treatment when the fractures of the avulsion involve growth plates in children. Because the growth plates are important for normal skeletal developments, these injuries should be treated with caution. If there is any concern that the growth plates are not positioned properly, surgery can be done to align and stabilize the growth plates.
Thank you very much for reading What Is An Avulsion Fracture: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment, hopefully useful.
