What is a fracture and a fissure? How can we differentiate between them? Are they treated in the same way? Tips.
Fracture or fissure?
In order to know if we suffer a fracture or a fissure, we must know its definition and how they differ.
A bone fracture consists of the complete interruption of the continuity of a bone. It occurs because the force or pressure exerted on it exceeds the resistance capacity of the bone tissue.
We can find open or closed fractures, the difference is that in open fractures there is a rupture of the tissues adjacent to the bone (connective tissue, muscle tissue, fatty tissue, skin, etc.) producing the exit of the bone to the outside. While in the closed fracture we only find a rupture of the bone, finding the other tissues intact and without the exit to the outside.
On the contrary, a fissure consists of an incomplete interruption of the bone. In this case, the mechanism by which the fissure occurs is of less severity and with less force than that of the fracture.
Fracture or fissure differentiation
The main difference is that in the fracture there is a separation of the ends of the bone and we can find scattered fragments, while in the fissure we do not find such separation because it is not complete.
They are also differentiated by the symptomatology they present, being the most serious fracture as it can cause a lot of functional impotence, swelling and usually a period of immobilization is needed to help consolidation.
On the other hand, the fissure does not cause so much lack of movement or inflammation, so the recovery time is usually shorter and lighter.
How do we treat these pathologies?
In these pathologies, especially in fractures, there is a prolonged period of immobilization, in order to consolidate the bones that have separated. This immobilization causes a very large loss of muscle in a very short time, which we must take into account in our treatment.
The treatment will be very similar for both pathologies:
Fractures:
Depending on the severity of the fracture, the patient will present less or more inflammation or more or less edema. If there is a lot of swelling and edema, it will be important to reduce them with evacuation massage, ultrasound, laser therapy and/or magnetotherapy (conventional physiotherapy).
We will also make use of kinesitherapy since one of the consequences of fractures is the loss of mobility, therefore it will be necessary to mobilize the affected limb to regain the mobility it had before (conventional and advanced physiotherapy).
For patients with severe pain, we can make use of neuromodulation by acting on the nerves that are responsible for carrying both sensory and motor information to the affected joint (advanced physiotherapy).
Finally, we could also use INDIBA in order to accelerate the process of lowering the inflammation and edema that may be hindering the progress of the mobility of the joint (advanced physiotherapy).
Once mobility and the absence of inflammation and pain have been recovered, it is very important that the patient attends the functional rehabilitation unit in order to re-involve the joint in daily life through exercise, since the surrounding musculature, due to immobilization, inflammation and other signs, atrophies and needs to be re-strengthened.
Cracks:
The treatment would be the same except that the recovery time is shortened due to the lesser severity of this with respect to the fracture.
Tips
The main advice for this type of pathology, especially in lower limbs, is, once the cast is removed and making sure that the fracture is consolidated, always with medical authorization, is to start putting load and movement to the area, for example, if the fracture is in the foot, supporting it.
This will prevent possible complications such as osteoporosis or sudeck.