Fracture healing: medication, treatment, and first aid

A person who has a broken bone or fracture needs medical treatment to treat the condition. After receiving treatment, the recovery period can take a long time to heal as before. However, do you know how the fracture or fracture heals? What medications and medications, including first aid, are commonly prescribed to treat fractures?

The healing process of a broken bone or fracture

The bone structure in the human movement system functions to support and keep the body upright so that it is able to carry out various activities. When a bone is broken, of course this will interfere with your activities. Apart from being unable to move your limbs, you may also experience other symptoms of fractures that make you uncomfortable.

Basically, bones heal on their own when they fracture. When a bone is broken, the body reacts in various ways to overcome this, including reconnecting the fracture and healing as usual. However, the broken bone must be in the right position and protected for a good healing process.

In this condition, treatment of fractures from a doctor is generally needed to help the healing process. Therefore, before knowing the types of fracture treatment from a doctor, it's a good idea to know the stages or processes that occur in the body starting from the fracture to entering the healing period. Here is the process:

1. Bleeding and inflammation

When a bone breaks or cracks, bleeding occurs immediately, causing inflammation and blood clots at the fracture site. The clotting blood serves to keep the parts of the broken bone from going anywhere and protects from the entry of foreign substances, including germs, into the broken bone.

This stage occurs only a few hours after the bone is broken or fractured and can last for several days. However, this condition also causes an inflammatory reaction in the area of ​​the body that has the fracture, such as swelling.

2. Formation of soft tissue

This clotted blood is then replaced with fibrous tissue and cartilage called soft callusor soft callus. This soft callus is a tissue made mostly of collagen and is made up of a special group of cells called chondroblasts.

This is the initial stage in bone production to reconnect the broken bone. It is at this stage that fracture treatment, such as a cast, will be administered. This stage can last from 4 days to 3 weeks, depending on the condition of each patient.

3. Bone becomes solid again

After the soft callus is formed, cells called osteoblasts will appear which play a role in forming bone. These cells will add minerals to the new bone tissue and fill the empty cavities. At this stage, the bones will become denser and stronger.

After the osteoblasts have compacted the new bone tissue, the soft callus is replaced with hard bone (or so-called hard callus /callus hard). This stage usually starts 2 weeks after the fracture occurs and can end in the 6th or 12th week.

4. Bone reshaping

After forming and becoming denser, the new bone usually takes on a bigger shape because of the excess tissue of osteoblasts. Therefore, the body will produce osteoclasts, which function to break down excess bone tissue and shape the bone back into its original shape.

This bone remodeling process can take a very long time, up to years. Daily activities, such as walking or standing, help promote bone remodeling. In addition, you also need to maintain bone health by eating foods that are good for fracture sufferers. Consult a doctor for more information.

The healing process for fractures in children

The fracture healing process as described above occurs in every fracture patient, both adults and children. However, in contrast to adults, fractures in children heal faster.

The process of forming new bone in children generally takes only a few weeks after the injury occurs, whereas in adults it can take several months. This can happen because children are still growing. During this period, the child's bones are still covered with a thick layer of connective tissue called the periosteum.

This tissue surrounds the bones and provides blood supply to the bones. When a bone is fractured, the body uses this blood supply to replace damaged cells and heal the bone.

As the child grows older, the periosteum tends to thin out. This is why fractures in adults require longer recovery time. Conversely, the younger the child is at the time of the fracture, the faster it will heal.

Medicines and medications that aid in the healing process of fractures

Treatment from doctors is generally done to help and speed up the healing process, control pain, prevent complications, and restore the affected body function to normal. The type of treatment given can be different for each person.

This will depend on the type of fracture you have, the location of the fracture, the severity, age, medical history, the patient's overall condition, and the patient's tolerance for certain treatment procedures. However, in general, here are various ways, drugs, and medications to treat fractures or fractures that doctors usually give:

• Cast

Patients Plastering is the most common way to treat fractures without surgery given by doctors. The cast keeps the ends of the broken bone in the right position and reduces movement, to help speed up the healing process.

Casts for fractures can be made of plaster or fiberglass. The type of cast to be used depends on the type of fracture and the location of the broken or fractured bone. However, casts are generally not used for the treatment of fractures or fractures in small bones, such as fingers and toes.

• Splint or splint

Just like a cast, a splint or splint is also a common non-surgical healing or non-surgical procedure for treating a fracture. The splint is used to prevent movement of the fractured area of ​​the bone during the healing period. However, this type of treatment is generally given when there is an area of ​​swelling around the broken bone.

The reason is, a cast that is too tight can reduce blood circulation in the injured area. A new cast will be placed once the swollen area has improved. In addition, splints or splints are also often used for small fractures that do not require a cast.

• Traction

Traction is a device consisting of pulleys, strings, weights and a metal frame that is fixed over the bed. This tool is used to stretch the muscles and tendons around the broken bone, so that the bones can be aligned and the healing process can take place quickly.

This treatment method is rarely used to heal fractures. However, traction is also often used to stabilize and realign broken bones before surgery.

• Broken bone surgery

Fractures that are severe or difficult to repair with a cast or splint will generally be treated surgically or surgically. Broken bone surgery is performed to return the broken bone to its original position.

To hold the piece of bone securely, sometimes a metal pin or device is placed in the area of ​​the bone, either inside the bone or outside of your body. This type of treatment is most commonly used for this type of hip fracture. This is because other types of treatment require the patient to remain motionless for a long time, and this often results in poor results.

• Drugs

In addition to the main treatments above, patients with fractures or fractures generally receive medication to help with their symptoms. The drugs given can be different for each patient depending on the severity of the symptoms experienced. Here are some of these drugs:

Analgesic drugs

Pain relievers (analgesics) are generally given to help relieve pain in fracture sufferers. Mild pain due to fractures or fractures is usually enough to take analgesic drugs that can be purchased at pharmacies, such as paracetamol.

However, most fractures cause intense pain or pain. In this condition, the doctor will prescribe a stronger analgesic drug, such as morphine or Tramadol. Both types of drugs are also often given to relieve pain after fracture surgery, especially for fractures in the hip or fracture of the spine.

NSAID drugs

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are also commonly given as a way to help heal broken or fractured bones. This type of drug works to relieve pain and reduce inflammation when a new fracture occurs.

Several types of NSAIDs that are often used to treat fractures, namely ibuprofen, naproxen, or other stronger drugs. Ibuprofen and naproxen are types of NSAID drugs for fractures that can be purchased at pharmacies. However, the use of this drug should still be according to the doctor's advice to avoid side effects that may arise.

Antibiotics

Prophylactic antibiotics, such as cefazolin, are often given to patients with open fractures. The reason is, as reported from the pages of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), patients with open fractures are at risk of infection, which also increases the likelihood of serious complications, such as nonunion and osteomyelitis.

The use of these antibiotics can prevent infection in people with open fractures.

• Physiotherapy

After undergoing various ways to treat a fracture and it has been declared cured, you may need to do physiotherapy to help relax the muscles and mobility of the part of the body that has the fracture. Physiotherapy for fractures will certainly help you get back to normal activities as before the fracture.

If you have a broken leg, physiotherapy can be a way to help you learn to walk once you recover. In addition, physiotherapy also helps reduce the risk of permanent stiffness in the part of the body that is fractured, especially if the broken bone is near or through the joint.

In addition to various medical treatments, some people prefer to use traditional remedies for fractures, such as massage or herbal remedies. Using this type of medication is not prohibited, but that does not mean that it is absolutely safe and does not pose a risk. Therefore, it is best if you consult your doctor before using it to prevent complications of fractures.

First aid for fractures or fractures

The causes of fractures can be various. If a fracture occurs as a result of severe bleeding, the bone or joint is deformed, the bone breaks through the skin, causes numbness, or suspects a fracture in the neck, head, or back, this condition requires emergency treatment to treat the condition. .

Immediately contact the nearest hospital or emergency number if you find a fracture like this. While waiting for medical help, you can take some simple steps to reduce the risk or likelihood of your fracture getting worse.

Here are some first aid steps for fracture sufferers that you can practice:

• Do not move or move the patient unless necessary to avoid further injury.
• If there is bleeding, stop the bleeding. Press the wound gently with a sterile bandage, clean cloth, or clean clothing.
• Don't try to realign the bone or push against the protruding bone. If you are trained in using splints or splints, you can place the splint or splint above and below the bone where the fracture occurred.
• When moving the patient, ensure that the splint or splint is kept in place to reduce movement in the injured area.
• Apply ice to reduce swelling and help relieve pain. However, do not apply ice directly to the skin, use a towel or cloth to wrap the ice and apply it to the fracture area.
• Keep the patient in a position as calm as possible, especially if there are signs of shock, such as shortness of breath or fainting. Cover with a blanket to keep warm and if possible lay the patient with the legs raised about 30 cm from the body. However, do not move or reposition the person if you have an injury to the head, neck, or back.
• Do not give the patient food or drink by mouth. This can delay the administration of general anesthesia when emergency surgery is needed.