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February 8, 2012
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Broken Arm

Medical Author:
Andrew P Baniukiewicz, MD
Coauthor:
Daniel DiSandro, MD
Medical Editor:
Scott H Plantz, MD, FAAEM
Medical Editor:
Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD
Medical Editor:
Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP
Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP
Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Dr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident.

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Broken Arm

Symptoms of a Broken Arm

Almost all injuries to the arm that result in a fracture to the bone are caused by either falling or a trauma to the arm. The most common symptoms of a broken arm are:

  • a large amount of pain and increased pain when moving the arm;
  • swelling;
  • there may be an obvious deformity compared to the other arm;
  • possible open wound either from the bone puncturing the skin or from the skin being cut during the injury; or
  • a decreased sensation or inability to move the arm, which may indicate nerve damage.

Broken Arm Overview

A broken or fractured arm means that one or more of the bones of the arm have been cracked. This is a common injury occurring in both children and adults. In adults, fractures of the arm account for nearly half of all broken bones. In children, fractures of the forearm are second only to broken collarbones.

  • Basic anatomy: The arm consists of 3 major bones. The humerus runs from the shoulder to the elbow. This is called the upper arm, or, simply, the arm. At the elbow, the humerus connects with 2 bones: the radius and the ulna. These bones go from the elbow to the wrist and are regarded as the forearm.

  • Important terms related to a broken arm

    • Alignment: The relationship of how the broken portions of the bone come together. This is an indication of how badly a bone is broken.

    • Angulation: The angle formed by the broken pieces of bone. Another measure of the seriousness of the break.

    • Closed fracture: A broken bone without an open skin wound

    • Comminuted fracture: A bone that is broken in multiple pieces

    • Dislocation: A bone that has come out of a joint

    • Displaced fracture: A broken bone with the parts of the bone not aligned

    • Fracture: A crack in the bone. This is another word for a broken bone.

    • Fracture-dislocation: A broken bone that has also come out of a joint

    • Greenstick fracture: An incomplete fracture seen in children where only one side of the bone is broken

    • Malunion: Healing of the bone in an unsatisfactory position

    • Nonunion: Failure of the pieces of bone to heal back together

    • Occult fracture: A broken bone that does not appear initially on the x-rays

    • Open fracture (compound fracture): A fracture that has a laceration in the skin overlying the break or a fracture that has a piece of bone sticking through the skin

    • Pathologic fracture: A broken bone that is due to a weakness of the bone itself from some other disease

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Broken Arm Causes»
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Broken Arm - Causes

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How did you break your arm?

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Broken Arm

Fall Prevention and Osteoporosis »

Fall Prevention and Osteoporosis Introduction

Osteoporosis (or porous bone) is a disease in which bones become less dense, resulting in weak bones that are more likely to break. Without prevention or treatment, osteoporosis can progress without pain or symptoms until a bone breaks (fractures). Fractures associated with osteoporosis can take a long time to heal and can cause permanent disability and even death.

  • Fractures commonly occur in the hip, spine, and wrist.
  • Osteoporosis is the underlying cause of more than 1.5 million fractures annually (300,000 hip fractures, approximately 700,000 vertebral fractures, 250,000 wrist fractures, and more than 300,000 fractures in other areas).
  • The estimated national cost (hospitals and nursing homes) for osteoporosis and related injuries is $14 billion each year in the United States. 

Osteoporosis is not just an “old woman’s disease.” Although it is more common in ...

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