Breaking of the bone is medically called a fracture and itcan be caused by high impact stress or an injury. There is more than one type ofthe bone fracture and some of them are spiral, incomplete, complete and linear. Thereis another type, which is oblique fracture, and it is very hard to distinguish it from the spiral fracture. Other types are compacted, compound andHolstein-Lewis fracture.
Spiral Fracture
Spiral fracture occurs due to the twisting, and as we have said, this fractureis easily mistaken for the oblique fracture. It is also called torsion fractureand the most common way of getting them is with a sport injury or by fallingdown the stairs. On the X-ray, this fracture will have a corkscrew shape andwith the bone axis and fracture in parallel position. This type of injury iscommon among those with fragile bones, which can happen due to age or poor nutrition.When you ski, you may twist the leg, which might result in the spiralfracture, due to the ski boots which make you lose control. This results in the violent twist and the fracture, inducing great amount of pain and severalmonths of the ski slopes. Child abuse, when grabbing or twisting the child'sarm, can be the cause of spiral fracture as well. When a child with this type of injury is admitted to the hospital, child abuse will be suspected and measures will betaken. But there are other causes of spiral fracture among children, so notevery spiral fracture in a child is caused by abuse.
Spiral Fracture of Fibula and Tibia
Twisting of the leg is the motion that might cause the spiral fracture. When wefind ourselves in this situation, we will lose balance but we will reflexivelytry to regain it and stand normally. If the tibia suffers excessivepressure, it will crack and there will probably be a fracture of the fibula as well. The leg's upper area is where the spiral fracture of the fibulahappens, while the lower area is when broken tibia is located. Humerus can alsosuffer fracture in these situations.
Treatment
The fracture and its spiral shape will make the treatment last longer. Factors like location of the fracture, general health and circumstances under which the fracture occurred, will determine the length of the recovery. Cast and surgeryare two treatment options. The broken bones will have to be placed in normalposition and this will be done by surgery, while the cast will keep everythingin the right position until the bone heals completely. Internal fixation, withthe use of metal rods, pins and others, might also be needed.
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