Kentucky Bone Break and Fractures Lawyers

What are the risks associated with bone breaks and fractures?

Breaks and fractures, generally speaking, are painful. The level of pain may be determined by the severity of the break and where it is located, but let’s be honest: they hurt. For some victims, however, that pain can flare at unexpected times.

There are risks, however, outside of pain. Compound fractures, for example, expose a person’s blood to infections. Complex fractures require surgery, and surgery poses risks in and of itself. Breaks to growth plates in young children can cause permanent physical deformities, and skull fractures during delivery can cause developmental or cognitive delays. Elderly patients who sustain breaks may not be able to undergo the necessary treatments because they cannot handle the anesthesia.

Almost every type of break and fracture can also cause damage to the surrounding tissues. A fractured rib can puncture the lungs or even the heart. Patients with marrow leaks may develop fat embolism syndrome, a rare by serious disorder that can cause seizures. In one of the worst-case scenarios, a broken neck or back can cause irreparable damage to the spinal cord, leading to partial or complete paralysis.

On thing to note is that in many cases, fractured and broken bones are not the only injury. A person who has sustained injuries in a head-on collision, for example, may also suffer traumatic brain injury, traumatic amputation or limb loss, or stroke – all of which must be addressed before a broken bone can be set. If the bones are also shattered, then medical providers must work in tandem to address each injury without exacerbating another.