What is meant by occult fracture?
What is meant by occult fracture?
A fracture is a broken bone. Occult means hidden. An occult fracture is one that does not appear well on an X-ray. A possible occult fracture is a suspected fracture that needs to be confirmed with other imaging tests. Occult fractures can occur because of a fall or other type of sudden (acute) injury.
What does an occult fracture look like?
Occult fractures are those that are not visible on imaging, most commonly plain radiographs and sometimes CT, either due to lack of displacement or limitations of the imaging study. There may be clinical signs of a fracture without one actually being seen.
What is an occult fracture of the knee?
In the knee, the occult fracture is most often a nondisplaced lateral tibial plateau fracture. The mechanism for this injury (rotating the upper body with all weight on one leg) is very unusual because it is usually the result of substantial force, such as being struck by a car or a fall from a height.
Do open fractures require surgery?
Open fractures require urgent surgery to clean the area of the injury. Because of the break in the skin, debris and infection can travel to the fracture location, and lead to a high rate of infection in the bone.
Is an open fracture life threatening?
Mortality associated with fractures is usually related to associated injuries to other critical organs, such as the brain, lung, and liver. If not properly treated, open fractures can lead to non-lethal, long-term complications such as bone infection and problems with proper bone healing.
What kind of shoes should I wear for a stress fracture?
Reduce stress on your foot and leg – A stiff-soled shoe, a wooden-soled sandal, or a removable short-leg, fracture brace shoe may help to protect your feet until the fracture heals.
How long should I wear a walking boot for a stress fracture?
Orthopedic boots protect broken bones and other injuries of the lower leg, ankle, or foot. They prevent more damage and help the area heal. Your doctor may have you use a boot for 1 to 6 weeks.