[contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"]

Causes & Symptoms

Why Did My Bone Break?

The most common causes of breaks are falls or accidents that cause high force impact or stress on our bones. While broken bones are very common in children, adults are more likely to have complicated breaks. As we age we become less and less stable and are more prone to falls. In addition, the older we get, the more brittle our bones become.

Broken bones can also be caused by certain medical conditions which might weaken the bones like osteoporosis, bone cancer, or osteogenesis imperfecta. Osteoporosis occurs because the body, which constantly absorbs and replaces bone tissue, can no longer create enough bone material to keep up with old bone removal. Osteogenesis imperfecta is a congenital condition characterized by brittle bones. While cancer in general can be caused by a wide variety of circumstances, many types of cancer start in the bones. The most common types, osteosarcoma and Ewing tumors, occur most often in children and teens. However, broken bones are not often the first symptoms of bone cancer.

How Do I Know if it’s Broken?

There is certainly no substitute for a professional medical opinion. If you think you might have a broken bone please visit the emergency room, urgent care department, or make an appointment as soon as possible with the Orthopedic Institute.

Broken bones are typically indicated by:

  • Swelling or bruising over a possible broken area
  • Deformity of the limb (something might look dislocated)
  • Pain in the injured area that gets worse when moved or pressure is applied
  • Loss of function in the injured area
  • Bone protruding from the skin – this is a medical emergency and you should be seen in the emergency or urgent care department immediately.

ADDITIONAL TOPICS

Medications: What Every Patient Should Know (a Guide to Safe and Proper Usage)

As the patient, you play a very important role in your medication therapy. As your health care providers, we want to ensure that all of our patients are provided with the proper information to use medications safely and effectively[read more]

Be Prepared

Here’s a checklist of what to bring to the hospital and how to prepare your home for your return from the hospital…[read more]

Before Surgery

Preparing yourself for surgery is more than just mental preparations. Find out about other aspects of daily life to consider prior to your upcoming surgery…[read more]

After Surgery

To find out more about what to expect after surgery click here.