Broken bones (fractures) are often very painful. The only way we can really diagnose a fracture is by x-ray.

When fatigued muscles can no longer absorb the shock of repeated impacts during gait, they transfer the stress to the bones, causing tiny "micro fractures" in the bone. Collectively these small fractures can result in a small crack in the surface of the bone. This is a stress fracture.

The bone densitometry test provides information about your own risk of bone fracture in the same way a cholesterol test indicates risk of a heart attack. A diagnosis of osteoporosis cannot predict a bone fracture, just as high cholesterol cannot predict a heart attack. Instead, it means that the risk of having a fracture is higher than that for normal bones. Your test results, combined with other factors, will give your overall risk of fracture. Knowing your risk of fracture is important.

This is a common fracture of the fifth metatarsal of the foot which commonly occurs from constant landing on the outer side of the foot in jumping types of sports. This has a high incidence of not healing, and needs to be treated with complete non-weight bearing initially. A large percent of these fractures eventually require surgical intervention.

a result of specialized training courses and subsequent refinements, all the surgeons provide the most up to date care of fractures. This specialized treatment allows for more accurate bone realignment, a faster healing process, and, in many cases, the elimination of casts, which should also help to reduce atrophy and muscle stiffness.

Because fractures hurt and make it difficult if not impossible to use the part of the body that is injured, most people call a doctor or seek emergency care quickly. In some cases, however, a person can walk on a fractured bone in the leg or foot, or use a fractured arm. Just because you can use your hand or foot does not mean that you do not have a fracture. If you think a bone may be broken, you should seek medical help immediately.

The most serious and debilitating osteoporotic fracture is the hip fracture. Most hip fracture patients who previously lived independently will require help from their family or home care. All hip fracture patients will require walking aids for several months, and nearly half will permanently need canes or walkers to move around their house or outdoors.

A hip fracture is more than a broken bone. If you are older, breaking your hip can mean a major change in your life. You will likely need surgery, and it can take as long as a year to recover. But you can get back to normal with activity, physical therapy, and support. Most hip fractures happen to people who are 65 or older. If you are in this age group, you need to be extra careful to avoid falls. Most people break their hip near the upper part of the thighbone (femur) .

When my daughter goes to the doctor for her annual check up, he makes her bend over as if to touch her toes. He says he's checking how straight her back is. Could you explain why he is doing this and how this helps? Thank you.

Definitely! Conditions such as these often place extra stress and tensions on the spine and tissues. Leaving this extra stress unchecked can cause further problems in other areas. The chiropractor takes all of these factors into account to insure your spine is kept in peak condition.

Have you ever heard of anyone having his or her foot amputated for arthritis? My grandma just had this done and it doesn't make any sense to me.

I've been told by a chiropractor that the best way to treat my ankle problem is with a manipulation. I really don't like having my joints snapped and popped. Is there any other way to fix the problem? I have a sprained ankle with cuboid syndrome. I notice my left ankle "twinges" with certain movements like when I walk on a slanted surface or step down off a curb. Does this mean I am spraining my ankle over and over? I sprained it really badly about a year ago.

I've heard of a frozen shoulder but what's a frozen ankle? My uncle is having surgery for this problem even as I send you this question. What can you tell me about the downside of ankle arthroscopy? I'm scheduled to have this operation in two weeks. I just came back from the orthopedic surgeon's office. X-rays taken show the start of osteoarthritis. All the X-rays were taken with me standing. Wouldn't it be better to see them while off my feet? I'm not always on my feet.

A skull fracture results in damage to the skin and bone of the skull as well as the brain itself. The form of medical treatment varies with the location and severity of the fracture. Close observation and follow up treatment are always required. Many skull fractures result in mild to severe problems associated with daily functioning such as walking, memory, vision and behavior.

Although the brain as cradled within the skull, it not physically attached to the skull. Instead, the brain is enclosed, and essentially floating, in spinal fluid. Therefore, if the head sustains a sudden blow, such as hitting the interior of a motor vehicle, the skull itself may not fracture, but the brain can be suddenly slammed against the inside of skull. This can cause injury to the brain.

With 38 bones in a single foot, almost any of them can be broken. Many fractures do not require surgery, or even a cast, as they will heal on their own with some support. When a foot is fractured, the site of the fracture usually is painful and swollen. The site of the fracture will determine the course of treatment, if necessary, including the following: These fractures may be serious and require immediate medical attention.

What is a type II SLAP shoulder injury? That's what my daughter says the arthroscopic exam showed this is the cause of the clicking in her shoulder.

Go immediately to the emergency room of your local hospital. A blow to the head can be life threatening.

The 2002 clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in Canada identify four key risk factors for fracture related to osteoporosis: Bone mineral density (BMD) is the most readily quantifiable predictor of fracture risk for those who have not yet suffered a fragility fracture.

The Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Group provides comprehensive orthopaedic care for children under 18 years of age. Children with congenital disorders may be seen until 21 years of age. In addition to orthopaedic care, the Group has a pediatric neurologist, pediatric urologist, pediatricians, cleft palate physicians and specialists for the treatment of adolescent and adult hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. - Top

Stress fractures are microscopic fractures of bone resulting from repeated "stress," usually from bearing your own weight. Unlike typical fractures, which involve bones snapping in two, stress fractures are microscopic cracks that are often too tiny to show up on a routine X-ray. Stress fractures can be caused by trauma or overuse resulting from hiking, jogging, or even just being on your feet too long, particularly if you have osteoporosis — thinning of the bones.

A compression fracture occurs when the normal vertebral body of the spine is squished, or compressed, to a smaller height. This injury tends to happen in two groups of people. First, are patients who are involved in traumatic accidents. When a load placed on the vertebrae exceeds its stability, it may collapse. This is commonly seen after a fall. The second, and much more common, group of patients are those with Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition that causes a thinning of the bone.

I had a complete discectomy six months ago and now I'm having the same back and leg pain again. How is this possible? I thought once the disc was removed the problem was solved.

Only severe osteopenic bone is a potential risk for fracture. Other reasons for fractures are technical or avascular necrosis of the femoral head.

Several fracture risk scores have been developed but for hip fracture only. All but one 4 were in elderly women aged at least 65 years.5-7 We are also aware of two web-based fracture risk-assessment models, Medsurf® (www.medsurf.com) and St. Boniface General Hospital (www.sbgh.mc.ca). The former is based on data from Asian-American women aged 30-80 years, uses age and bone mineral density only, and reports risk of any fracture.

A year ago I was in a car accident and took a direct hit to my left knee. At the time of the injury, X-rays didn't show anything wrong. I'm still having pain and swelling off and on. I walk with a limp most of the time. My family doctor can't find anything. What do I do now? This injury is keeping me from playing golf, snowboarding, and doing other outdoor activities I like.

A penis fracture can occur when there is trauma to the erect penis, resulting in rupture of the lining of the cylinder (corpus cavernosum) in the penis that becomes engorged with blood during an erection. This very painful injury is often accompanied by an audible cracking sound, followed immediately by dark bruising of the penis due to blood escaping the cylinder. In about 10 percent of penis fractures, the urethra is damaged and blood may be visible at the urinary opening of the penis.

Hip fractures were about half as frequent as expected, and this may have been due to a number of factors: the average body mass index of the women was 29 (heavy women have stronger bones), there were relatively few women over age 70, and many were already using CaD supplements and hormone therapy. They also were healthy enough to have been participating in the WHI clinical trials.