Fracture of scapula: treatment and rehabilitation after fracture of scapula
The blade is a flat bone, to which many muscles are attached, it participates in the movement of the hand.Despite considerable mobility, sometimes due to increased physical exertion, excessive mechanical impact, a fracture of this bone can occur.
Among other clinical cases, fracture of the scapula is not common, but it leads to impaired motor functions and can cause serious consequences.Knowledge of the fracture and the methods of its treatment will allow you to orient yourself in your actions, quickly diagnose and provide adequate first aid.
Table of contents:Types of fractures
Damage localization can be any anatomical structure of the blade.Depending on this, several varieties of fracture are distinguished.
Damage may be exposed to:
- blade axis,
- articular cavity,
- coracoid process,
- acromial process,
- upper angle of scapula,
- lower angle of scapula.
The fracture line may extend in the transverse or longitudinal direction. Some traumatic injuries lead to the appearance of many bone fragments.
Reasons for
Often a person can not predict the injury in any way, because the scapula is damaged when falling on the back, the shoulder, as a result of indirect impact - when falling on the arm .A flat bone can break with intense physical impact on it, the fall of a heavy object.
The risk group includes people involved in the sport of , because when exercising, the probability of injury is significantly increased.In the case of a fracture of the scapula, the injured person must necessarily arrive at the trauma center, where the specialists will conduct a survey and prescribe appropriate treatment for the severity of the condition.
Trying to be treated at home is highly not recommended, because with this approach you can only worsen a condition that is already heavy.Only a doctor will be able to provide a sick person with qualified medical care, prescribe a treatment that promotes the rapid restoration of the structure of the musculoskeletal system and the resumption of the functions of the upper limb.
How to determine the fracture of the scapula?
Whenever any injury is received, a person experiences pain at this point.Fracture of the scapula is no exception. Damage can affect both bone tissue and surrounding soft tissue.At the same time, nerve fibers are destroyed, manifested by the painful sensations .As a result of damage to blood vessels and soft tissues, a patch of swelling and bruising develops in the injured area.
Symptom, which is based on damage to the transverse artery of the scapula, is called the "triangular Comolli pillow."With it, the accumulation of blood and puffiness very often repeats the shape of this flat bone.Having discovered a similar swelling, it is possible to make an assumption about localization of the fracture.
During palpation of the scapula specialist can determine its increased mobility, displacement of anatomical structures, mobility of the shoulder, the presence of characteristic crepitus.Feeling of damaged bone is accompanied by intense pain.
Consequences of
fracture of the scapula A significant number of scapula fractures after the treatment are rapidly fused, and the motor function of the hand suffers not so much .But if there is a fracture with localization in the joint cavity, intraarticular damage is formed, which should be treated much longer.If there is a fracture inside the joint, the natural function of the upper limb is significantly impaired, and the victim experiences periodic painful sensations.The chronic course of these pains is due to the development of arthritis of the damaged joint.
There will never be a complete cure if you apply methods aimed only at eliminating a fracture.Without adequate treatment, a person will be tormented for a long time from painful sensations.
When the shoulder neck is damaged, contractures in the shoulder joint are formed, which is characterized by pain and restriction of movements.The presence of a fracture in this place threatens the development of serious consequences.The situation is complicated by the fact that the fracture of the cervical spine is difficult to diagnose, since it is surrounded on all sides by several groups of muscles.It is only possible to determine the localization of damage only in a medical institution after using an X-ray study.
Diagnostics
A fracture formed in any one area of the scapula may show little symptomatology, often reminiscent of the usual injury.Traumatic injury affecting several parts of the scapula, allows the doctor to quickly determine the diagnosis, because in this case there is a brighter clinical symptomatology.
The signs of a fracture may be similar to the shoulder dislocation symptoms.If there is a dislocation, when you try to move your arm, the shoulder will spring.But such a symptom is not an accurate confirmation of the exit of the head of the humerus from the articular cavity, so diagnosis should always be supported by instrumental methods.For example, without radiography to put the correct and accurate diagnosis is often impossible .Only on an x-ray can visualize the localization of the fracture, if any.
Treatment and immobilization in fracture of the scapula
Conservative method is the most commonly used method for the treatment of scapula fracture.Of course, everything will depend on the type of traumatic injury, the severity of the condition of the victim, the presence of complications, but basically the restoration of bone integrity and the normal functioning of the upper limb occurs without surgery.Initially, the doctor performs anesthesia.If there is no displacement of the formed fragments, there is no need to carry out repositioning.T This kind of damage is treated by applying a dezo dressing, the duration of which is one month.
Another variant of immobilization, used for a fracture of the acromion or the beak-like process, in which there is no displacement of the processes, is the use of a special discharge bar or gypsum thoracobrachial bandage fixed to the upper limb.The duration of such immobilization of the scapula is about six weeks.
The use of a pull-out tire with skeletal traction is prescribed by a traumatologist if there is a fracture of the neck of the scapula, characterized by displacement of the fragments. Initially, the doctor conducts their reposition, and then through the elbow sprout holds a spoke, which ensures the correct splicing of the bone.The duration of the traction depends on the severity and complexity of the fracture, but on average is one month.After his lapse, the extension is replaced by a gypsum thoracobranchial bandage, which can be removed only after three weeks.
The correct positioning of the scapula and the splicing of fragments during the whole time of immobilization should be monitored by radiography and clinical studies.
Physiotherapy methods accelerate the healing process of i because they improve the metabolic processes in the area of damage that provide recovery.At the final stage of treatment, the patient should practice methods of physical therapy.This allows you to quickly resume the functionality of this department of the musculoskeletal system.
Surgical treatment
Operative intervention in the fracture of the scapula is performed only in cases where the bone fragments repositioning was not performed in time, and also with an intraarticular fracture. To prevent the appearance of distant complications of this pathological condition, the doctor conducts an open reposition of the fragments.
Prevention
At the beginning of the article it was noted that the most frequent fractures of the scapula occur in athletes.You can prevent this type of injury if, during active sports, a person uses the necessary protective equipment and follows precautionary measures.
Video, which shows how to properly apply a dressing Dezo. Tulpa VV, doctor, medical reviewer
