Injuries to the Lower Leg, Lower Body/ Sprain & Strain

The long bones, the knee, and the foot are often injure during sports. There are two long bones in the lower leg. The tibia (shinbone) lies very close to the surface and if broken will often pierce the skin, causing an open fracture. The fibula lies behind the tibia. It is more difficult to break this bone and may not obviously affects the ability to walk. The knee is a complex joint vulnerable to fractures of the patella (kneecap), dislocation, strains, and cartilage (tissue) injury. It is unusual to break just one bone in the foot-- generally, multiple fractures of the small bones in the foot and the toes are caused by crush injuries.

TREATING BROKEN LONG BONES

1. Help the injured person into the most comfortable position-- generally, lying down.
2. Examine the injury carefully to see whether there is an open break. If there is a wound, cover gently with a sterile dressing or clean, non-fluffy material, pad around the broken area and tie gently but firmly into place.
3. Gently support the injury above and below the site of the break. Place padding such as cushions or blankets around the site of the injury.
4. If you have been trained to do so, applying traction may help alleviate the pain and any potential damage to the circulation.
5. Treat for shock and reassure.

TREATING A BROKEN LEG

A person with a broken leg is most likely to be transported to hospital by ambulance and the treatment in most settings is therefore limited to steady support and help with immobilization.

TREATING KNEE INJURIES. In addition to the normal signs and symptoms of bone and soft tissue injuries, there may be an obvious displacement of the kneecap or an inability to bend or straighten the leg.

1. Help the injured person into the most comfortable position. He will generally need to be transported to hospital by ambulance.
2. Check the injured area carefully for an open break and treat as appropriate.
3. Pad around and under the injured area to provide support, gently tying the padding in place if needed.
4. Treat for shock and reassure the victim until help arrives.
5. Do not try to bend the leg because you may cause more damage. Keep it still.

TREATING A BROKEN FOOT

1. If possible, carefully remove the shoes and socks, tights, or stockings because the foot is likely to swell and these items of clothing may damage the circulation.
2. Cover any wound with a sterile dressing or clean, non-fluffy material.
3. Raise the foot to reduce swelling and pain and support with a large comfortable pad such as cushion or blanket.
4. Wrap the foot in padding, if necessary, this can be held in place with a cover bandage. A cold compress may further alleviate pain and swelling.

Take or send the injured person to hospital.

WARNING!

Do not give anything to eat or drink-- the victim may need a general anesthetic in hospital.

INJURIES TO LOWER BODY
A broken bone in the lower body is a serious injury that requires hospital treatment. The pelvis is a large bone and is generally very difficult to break. Severe impact such as a fall from a height or a car accident are the most common cause in young, fit adults. In the elderly a broken pelvis (or hip) happens more often and can be caused by a relatively minor impact. In healthy adults it takes a major impact to break the thighbone and there are likely to be other injuries.

BROKEN PELVIS. The pelvis protects the urinary system and the biggest danger is that sharp bone ends may burst the bladder, creating the possibility of infection. Internal bleeding is another likelihood with a fractured hip, because the impact required to break the bone is likely to have caused other damage.

TREATMENT

1. Call an ambulance immediately and reassure the victim while you wait.
2. This is very serious condition and it is best not to move the victim because you could easily make things worse.
3. If the ambulance will be some time, tie the legs gently together at the ankles and knees using triangular or improvised bandages.
4. Treat the victim for shock.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF A BROKEN PELVIS

• Bruising and swelling over the hip area
• Urge to urinate
• Blood-stained urine
• A sensation of falling apart: the pelvis is like a girdle and break means that it may not be able to hold itself together
• Legs rotate outward as the support at the pelvis

Because the pelvis can also be broken at the back, it is easy to mistake a pelvic fracture for a spinal injury. If in doubt, treat for a broken spine.

FRACTURE FROM THE UPPER LEG. The key risk with fractures of the femur (thigh bone) in the upper leg is shock. The thighbone protects the main artery in the leg, the femoral artery, and if broken may pierce it, causing severe internal bleeding.

     A person with a broken thighbone will require transportation by ambulance. The general treatment is therefore nothing more than immobilize the injured part and treat the victim for shock. Do not bandage the leg if helps is on its way-- this is likely to cause more pain and potentially cause further damage.

     Support the leg above and below the site of the fracture if possible, placing padding around the broken leg to further help to reduce movement of the injured limb. If you have been trained in the use of traction then you may apply this gently to the leg to help to reduce pain and circulatory damage.

The injured person may benefit from immobilization of the broken leg by using the good leg as a splint, particularly if there will be a delay before medical help arrives.

1. Apply broad fold triangular bandages under the ankles, knees, and above and below the site of the fracture.
2. Place padding between the legs to help immobilize them.
3. Gently but firmly tie the bandages on the injured side.
4. Take care to check the circulation below the bandages to ensure that they do not become too tight as the leg swells.

WARNING!

• Do not give anything to eat or drink-- the victim may need a general anesthetic in hospital.
• Do not move the victim unless he is in danger or needs resuscitation.

SPRAIN AND STRAINS

Strains occur when the muscle is overstretched, leading to a particular tear. Sprains are injuries to a ligament, a tough band of tissue that links two bones together at or near a joint. Commonly sprained joints include the wrist, knee, and ankle.

TREATMENT. The person suffering the injury may often sense that the area is not broken-- she may have suffered similar injuries before, particularly if the injury has occurred through sport. If both of you are confident that there is no other injury, then the best treatment is :

• Rest
• Ice
• Compression
• Elevation

1. Place the injured part at rest. This prevents any further damage. Help the person into a comfortable position-- for a leg injury, this will usually be lying down with head and shoulders supported.
2. Apply a cold compress. Wrap some ice in a triangular bandage or other clean piece of material and hold gently on the site of the injury. This will help relieve pain and reduce swelling. Do not apply ice directly to the injury because this may damage the skin. Cool the injury for 10-15 minutes, keeping the compress cold with refills as necessary.
3. Apply a compressing gauze wrap. This will help reduce pain and swelling and will provide support for the injury.
4. Elevate the injured part. Elevation will help reduce swelling and pain. If the arm is injured, use either the other arm or elevation sling as appropriate to provide additional support.
5. Seek medical assistance and make sure the victim keeps the limb raised and supported until help arrives.

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Written by Unknown

Frederick Luneta is a 24-year old guy and he is a Computer Engineering student and a young part time blogger. Currently lives in the Philippines. He knows a lot about computer.