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BONE, JOINT AND MUSCLE INJURIES

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Musculoskeletal Injuries

  • Fractures
  • Dislocations
  • Sprains
  • Strains
  • Contusions
  • Cramps

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Signs and Symptoms of Injury

  • Compare injured arm or leg to opposite one
  • Pain when area touched
  • Bleeding or other wounds
  • Loss of muscle function
  • Decreased range of motion

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Signs and Symptoms of Injury continued

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Signs and Symptoms of Injury continued

  • Abnormal sensation (numbness, tingling)
  • Inability to move area
  • Difference in temperature

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Fractures

  • Bone may be completely broken or only cracked
  • Closed fracture – skin not broken
  • Open fracture – open wound at site
  • Bleeding can be severe with fracture of large bones

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Types of Fractures

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Dislocations

  • Typically result from strong forces
  • Sometimes accompanied by fractures or other serious injuries
  • Pain, swelling, bruising occur
  • Significant displacement can damage nearby nerves and cause serious bleeding
  • Joint or limb may look deformed
  • Can be serious because of potential for nerve and blood vessel injury

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Sprains

  • Typically occur when joint overextended
  • Ankles, knees, wrists, fingers most common
  • Cause swelling, pain, bruising and inability to use joint
  • Difficult to tell severe sprain from fracture

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Muscle Injuries

  • Typically caused by overexertion, careless or sudden movement, poor body mechanics
  • Common injuries include strains, contusions and cramps
  • Usually less serious than bone and joint injuries
  • Repeated injury can lead to chronic problem

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Strains

  • Tearing of muscle or tendon
  • Occurs when muscle stretched too far by overexerting
  • Causes pain, swelling and sometimes inability to use muscle
  • Can be prevented by avoiding overexertion, good body mechanics, sports safety

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Contusion

  • Bruised muscle
  • May result from a blow
    • Occurs when muscle compressed between object causing blow and underlying bone
  • Cause pain, swelling and discoloration
    • May persist up to a month

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Muscle Cramps

  • Tightening of muscle
  • Usually occurs from prolonged use but may have no apparent cause
  • Most common in thigh and calf muscle
  • Different from heat cramps
  • May last a few seconds to 15 minutes
  • May be prevented with flexibility exercises and stretches

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