Fractures and broken bones after a Michigan car accident

FAQs on fractures, or bone breaks to the spine, arms and legs that are frequently suffered by auto accident victims

Below are the answers to frequently asked questions about fractures (broken bones) from an auto accident.

If you have questions about your car accident injuries, feel free to call our personal injury lawyers at (800) 777-0028. There's no charge or obligation.

Q. What is a fracture?
A. Simply put, a fracture is a break in a bone. In other words, a fracture is a broken bone.

Q. Where in the body can fractures occur?
A. Michigan auto accident victims frequently suffer fractures to their spinal bones (vertebrae), arm and leg bones. Here's information about back injuries, neck injuries and leg injuries.

Q. Do auto accident victims suffer fractures?
A. Yes. According to the Mayo Clinic significant trauma, such as a car accident, is one of the most common causes of fractures or bone breaks.

Q. What type of fractures can occur in the spine?
A. The spine is comprised of a column of bones. Each individual bone is called a vertebrae. Together, the vertebrae serve two purposes. First, they protect the spinal cord, which is the bundle of nerves that carries messages from the brain to the rest of the body. Second, the vertebrae give shape to a person’s neck (cervical spine), mid-back (thoracic spine), lower back (lumbar spine).

There are five types of spinal fractures that auto accident victims should know about. They are:

Compression fracture:The front (anterior) of a vertebra breaks and loses height, but the back (anterior) part of the vertebrae does not.
Axial burst fracture: The broken vertebrae loses height in the front and back.
Flexion/distraction (chance) fracture: The vertebrae are literally pulled apart (distraction), such as in a head-on car crash in which the upper body is thrown forward while the pelvis is stabilized by a lap seat belt.
Transverse process fracture:This type of fracture results from rotation or extreme sideways (lateral) bending.
Fracture-dislocation: This is an unstable personal injury involving bone and/or soft tissue in which one vertebra may move off of the adjacent vertebra, thereby creating a displacement.

Q. What type of fractures can occur in the arms?
A. An arm fracture, or broken arm, involves the fracture of any of the three bones in a person’s arm: humerus (connects elbow to shoulder); radius (connects elbow to wrist above thumb); ulna (connects elbow to wrist above pinky finger), according to the Mayo Clinic. The arm fractures that car accident victims most commonly suffer include:

Open (compound) fracture: The broken bone pierces the skin.
Closed fracture: The skin is not pierced by the broken bone.
Displaced fracture: The bone fragments are not aligned at the site of the break or fracture.
Comminuted fracture: The bone breaks into several pieces.

Q. What type of fractures can occur in the legs?
A. A leg fracture, or broken leg, involves the fracture of any of the three bones in a person’s leg: femur (thighbone); tibia (shinbone); fibula (runs parallel to the tibia), according to the Mayo Clinic. The leg most common leg fractures include:

Open (compound) fracture: The broken bone pierces the skin.
Closed fracture: The skin is not pierced by the broken bone.
Incomplete fracture: The bone cracked but did not completely break into two parts.
Complete fracture: The bone makes a clean break into two parts.
Displaced fracture: The bone fragments are not aligned at the site of the break or fracture.
Comminuted fracture: The bone breaks into several pieces.

Q. How do doctors diagnose fractures?
A. The Mayo Clinic explains that X-rays allow doctors to determine the extent of a fracture, pinpoint its exact location, and determine the extent of injury to any adjacent joints. Occasionally, doctors may also recommend that an accident victim undergo a computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Q. Is surgery ever a treatment option for a fracture (broken bone)?
A. Yes. Surgical treatment for spinal fractures may include:

Fusion - Fusing or joining two vertebrae to stop painful movement,
Vertebroplasty - Inject bone cement into compressed or fractured vertebrae,
Implant artificial discs between injured discs - Provides stability and eliminates pain.

For arm and leg fractures, surgery into the area of the broken bone may be necessary to implant fixation devices, such as wires, plates, nails or screws. This is to maintain proper alignment during healing.

Call Michigan Auto Law. Our personal injury lawyers are here for you.

If you've suffered a fracture due to another person's negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering.

There is no downside to contacting a personal injury lawyer with questions about your accident. Call us at (800) 777-0028. You can also fill out our consultation form.

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