Upper Limb Fractures

• Recap of Basic Principles:

  • description
  • location
  • type/orientation
  • deformity
  • healing times
  • callous formation within 2 to 3 weeks
  • union within 4 to 6 weeks
  • consolidation within 6 to 8 weeks
  • management
  • reduce
  • immobilise
  • rehabilitate
• Diagnosis of Fractures:

  1. history e.g. falls, trauma, osteoporosis
  2. objective examination e.g. bruising, deformity
  3. imaging e.g. CT scans, x-rays (minimum of 2 views)
• Clinical Framework:

  • triage
  • stage & SIN
  • dominant pain mechanism
  • structural diagnosis?
  • hypothesis
  • prognosis
• Management Framework:

  1. consider the context
  2. advice and education
  3. symptom control
  4. build capacity as appropriate
  5. return to function
• Summary:

  • Know your patient past medical history, as this will influence your index of suspicion
  • Fracture management of the majority of areas follow the same principles:
  • reduce
  • immobilise
  • rehabilitate