What is an avulsion fracture? How is it treated?

In life, many people have experienced fractures, especially athletes, who are more likely to have fractures. There are many types of fractures, among which avulsion fracture is a common one. So how is avulsion fracture caused? How to treat it?

What is an avulsion fracture?

The ligament (commonly known as tendons) is closely connected to the muscles and bones. During strenuous exercise, the ligament contracts extremely, causing the muscles controlled by the ligament (the inner layer is the tendon) to contract extremely. The contraction range is too large, and at the same time, the bone protrusions and tuberosity are not strong enough, and are pulled down by the contraction force of the tendon, resulting in avulsion fractures.

Causes

When people engage in strenuous activities, their muscles may contract, causing the protrusions and tuberosities of the bones connected to the tendons to separate partially or completely. The ligament pulls the bones where the ligaments are attached to peel off along with the ligaments, forming bone fragments, which is called an avulsion fracture. (In layman's terms, the muscle tendon is pulled too hard, and under the action of external forces, the attached bones fracture, tearing off the entire piece or a small part of the bone fragments)

Basic range

Tibial intercondylar eminence fractures and elbow joint fractures can both form avulsion fractures, which fall within the scope of avulsion fractures.

Symptoms

The symptoms of avulsion fracture are similar to those of fracture, with pain at the injury site and limited joint movement as the main manifestations, followed by local swelling and tenderness. Avulsion fracture of the intercondylar eminence of the tibia is a special type of intra-articular fracture, often an avulsion fracture of the anterior cruciate ligament or posterior cruciate ligament at the attachment of the tibia. Inappropriate treatment can lead to malformation and cause instability in knee joint function. Avulsion fracture of the intercondylar eminence of the tibia with displacement is often treated with traditional open reduction and wire internal fixation. Although open reduction and wire internal fixation can effectively reduce and fix the fracture fragments, it has the disadvantages of long incision, severe trauma, extremely painful and lengthy postoperative functional training, prone to knee joint stiffness, and inconvenient operation due to the narrow intercondylar notch.

Treatment

When you suffer an avulsion fracture (the injured part usually becomes rapidly engorged and swollen, and the pain is intense), do not move the injured part (mostly occurs in the ankle, knee, elbow, and knuckle), and quickly go to the hospital for examination and treatment in the emergency department, surgery, and radiology departments. After the avulsion fracture is fixed, the key is to pay attention to rest, reduce the movement of the injured part, and keep warm. General treatment: During treatment, there must be medication, instruments, or acupuncture, and the strength of nearby muscle groups must be strengthened, especially small muscle groups. Remember, it is the knee muscle group, not the thigh. Of course, the thigh must also be trained, but the main focus is still the knee. It is recommended that the half squat should not be too deep, 30 to 45 degrees, and the half squat time should not be too long, more than 10 minutes and less than 20 minutes; if it is not possible, you can squat shallower, but the time should be more than 10 minutes. During the treatment period, you can combine traditional Chinese medicine treatment, such as taking some blood-activating and blood-stasis-removing drugs or doing some self-rehabilitation physical therapy exercises.