BROKEN BONES (= FRACTURES) Handicap International Sri Lanka Henk Willemsen

Broken or dislocated bones Injury to arm or leg Bone has come out of its socket and looks like it is in the wrong place Bone is sticking out through the skin Body part is bent in a way that is not normal Henk Willemsen Handicap International Sri Lanka

Henk Willemsen Handicap International Sri Lanka What happens? Most common in the bones of arms and legs. Usually happen when a person falls, is hit or is in an accident Painful; it is often not possible to move the part that is broken, and if it is a leg, stand on it. Swelling. Sometimes a bone can break because it has weakened by other diseases. Older people can also have weak bones that break easier. Henk Willemsen Handicap International Sri Lanka

Henk Willemsen Handicap International Sri Lanka What to do? When a bone is broken, the most important thing to do is keep the bone in a fixed position. This prevents further damage and lets it mend. Needs to be ‘put back in place’, a plaster cast put on, or operated by a professional. Before trying to move or carry a person with a broken bone, keep the bones from moving with splints, strips of bark, or a sleeve of cardboard. Later a plaster cast can be put on the limb at a health center. Henk Willemsen Handicap International Sri Lanka

Broken Thigh or Hip Bone A broken thigh or hip needs special attention. It is best to splint the whole body and take the person to a health center at once. Henk Willemsen Handicap International Sri Lanka

Henk Willemsen Handicap International Sri Lanka Be Careful! Don't go to a local bone setter or village medicine with a fracture Visit a hospital to have a proper diagnosis and treatment! You need an X-ray for good diagnosis Henk Willemsen Handicap International Sri Lanka

Cast may need to be removed and a looser one put on Plaster cast too tight Toes or fingers change color Person has no feeling in toes or fingers Person has burning or severe pain in toes or fingers Cast may need to be removed and a looser one put on Henk Willemsen Handicap International Sri Lanka

How long does it take for a broken bone to heal? The worser the break or the older the person, the longer healing takes. Children's bones mend rapidly. Those of old people sometimes never join. A broken arm should be kept in a cast for about a 4 – 6 weeks, A broken leg should remain in a cast for about 6 – 8 weeks Henk Willemsen Handicap International Sri Lanka

Henk Willemsen Handicap International Sri Lanka Broken Ribs Very painful, but almost always heal on their own, it may take months before the pain is gone completely. Do not to splint or bind the chest. Take aspirin-and rest. Keep the lungs healthy, take 4 to 5 deep breaths in a row, every 2 hours. Do this daily until you can breathe normally. A broken rib sometimes punctures a lung or breaks through the skin. The person might coughs blood or develops breathing difficulties; seek medical help! Henk Willemsen Handicap International Sri Lanka

Henk Willemsen Handicap International Sri Lanka Exercises! Range-of-motion; regularly repeated exercises that straighten or bend one or more joints of the body and move them in all the directions that a joint normally moves. To keep the joints flexible, prevent joint stiffness, contractures, and deformities. Strengthening exercises; after a fracture and a period of in-activity / plaster casting, the muscles get weak. Learning to walk again; start with crutches! Henk Willemsen Handicap International Sri Lanka