How to Treat Fractures in Middle-aged and Elderly People?
A fracture refers to the complete or partial breakage of bone structure. It is more common in children and the elderly, but can also occur in middle-aged adults. Patients often experience fractures in one area, while a few may have multiple fractures. With timely and appropriate treatment, most patients can recover their original function, while a few may have varying degrees of sequelae.
1. Distal Radius Fracture
Ordinary fractures can be treated by manual reduction and external fixation. For severe comminuted fractures with obvious displacement, fracture of the distal radius joint surface, and instability, surgical treatment should be adopted.
2. Hip Fracture
Hip fractures can be classified into intertrochanteric fractures and femoral neck fractures. Non-surgical methods include skeletal traction or skin traction. However, in recent years, with the improvement of medical technology, surgical treatments such as total hip replacement, hemiarthroplasty, intramedullary nail fixation, PEN-A, DHS, and locking plates have been widely used. Surgical treatment is the preferred option for elderly hip fractures without surgical contraindications, as it can reduce bed rest time, facilitate early recovery of limb function, and reduce mortality and the incidence of other complications.
3. Thoracolumbar Compression Fracture
Since the main cause of this fracture is age-related osteoporosis, patients who cannot undergo surgery must stay in bed, perform appropriate functional exercises with the help of family members, use anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs to alleviate pain, and undergo osteoporosis treatment. Elderly patients without surgical contraindications can choose pedicle screw fixation surgery, percutaneous vertebral body augmentation surgery, or percutaneous vertebral body kyphoplasty surgery for treatment.
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4. Specific Signs of Fractures
(1) Deformity: Displacement of the fracture end can change the appearance of the affected limb, mainly manifesting as shortening, angulation, or elongation.
(2) Abnormal Movement: In the normal case, the affected limb cannot move, but after a fracture, abnormal movement occurs.
(3) Crepitus: Friction and impact between the fracture ends can produce crepitus.
Once one of these three signs is found, a diagnosis of fracture can be made. However, the absence of these three signs does not rule out the possibility of a fracture, such as impaction fractures or crack fractures. In general, do not examine these signs for diagnosis, as it may worsen the injury.
