Download Injuries to Muscles, Bones and Joints

Injuries to Muscles,
Bones and Joints
Chapter 8
Muscles
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Over 600 muscles
Tendons: Strong tissues that attach muscle and bones together
Muscles are able to shorten and lengthen, contract and relax
Contracting and relaxing allows the body to move
The brain directs the muscles to move through nerves in the
spinal cord
Tiny jolts of electricity travel through the nerves to the muscles to
cause them to contract
When the muscles contract, they pull at the bones, causing
motion at a joint
Injuries to the brain, spinal cord or nerves can affect muscle
contraction.
Paralysis: When nerves lose control of muscles
When a muscle is injured, a nearby muscle often takes over for
the injured ones.
Bones
• Approximately 200 bones in various
shapes and sizes
• The skeleton protects many of the
organs inside the body
• Bones are hard and dense
• Bones have a rich supply of blood and nerves
• Bone injuries can bleed and usually are painful
• Children have more flexible bones than adults
• Growth Plate: area of developing cartilage near the
ends of a long bone
• Bones weaken with age
• Osteoporosis: gradual weakening of the bones
Joints
• The ends of two or more
bones coming together at
one place.
• Ligaments: Strong, tough
bands that hold the bones
at a joint together.
• All joints have a normal
range of movement in
which they can move
freely, without too much
stress or strain.
• When joints are forced
beyond this range,
ligaments stretch and tear.
Fractures
• Complete break, a chip or a
crack in the bone
• Caused by a fall, blow or
twisting movement
• Open Fracture: involves an
open wound when the end of
a bone tears through the skin.
Carry a risk of infection and
severe bleeding.
• Closed Fracture: Skin is not
broken, more common
• Hard to tell if a person has a
fracture, you should consider
the cause of the injury
Dislocations
• Movement of a bone at a joint away from its
normal position.
• This movement is caused by a violent force tearing
the ligaments that hold the bones in place
• When a bone is moved out of place, the joint no
longer functions.
• The displaced end of the bone often forms a bump,
a ridge or a hollow that does not normally exist.
Sprains
• Tearing of ligaments at a joint
• Mild sprains may swell but usually heal quickly
• If a person ignores signs and return to quickly, the
joint will not heal properly and remain weak
• A severe sprain also can involve a fracture or
dislocation of the bones at the joint.
• Most easily injured: Ankle, Knee, wrist and fingers
What to
Look for
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Pain (Touch or move)
Significant bruising and swelling
Deformity (Twisted, strangely bent, lumps, ridges, hollows)
Unable to use the affected part normally
Bone fragments sticking out of a wound
Feels the bones grating or heard snap or pop
Area is cold, numb, tingly
When to call 911
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Deformity
Severe swelling and discoloration
Snap or Pop
Open wound with bone piercing the skin
Cannot move area normally
Cold and numb
Involves head, neck or spine
Trouble breathing
Not possible to move person to a vehicle to
transport to a hospital
What to do until Help arrives
• R: REST Do not move or straighten the injured area
• I: IMMOBILIZE Stabilize the injured area in the position it
was found. Splint and transport the person to a medical
care without causing more pain.
• C: COLD Apply ice or damp cloth for periods of 20 mins.
• E: ELEVATE the area without causing more pain, reduces
swelling
• Some injuries do not need to call 911 but medical
attention is needed. Do not allow person to drive
Splinting
• Method of immobilizing an injured part to minimize
movement and prevent further injury and should be
used only if you have to move or transport the
person to seek medical attention and if it does not
cause pain.
• Splint the injury in the position in which you found it
• Fractures- Splint the joints above and below the site
of injury
• Sprains or joints- splint the bones above and below
the site of injury
• Splints: Soft or padded for comfort
• Check for circulation (feeling, warmth, color)
Splints
• Anatomic splints: Person’s body is in the splint
• Soft Splints: Soft materials or folded triangle bandage
• Rigid Splints: Padded boards, magazines, something
without sharp edges
• The Ground: an injured leg stretched out on the
ground is supported by the ground
• After you splint, apply ICE and keep person from
getting chilled or overheated
Head, Neck and Spine
• Each year approximately 12,000 Americans suffer from a
spinal cord injury.
• Most are victims with an average age of 40
• Leading causes: vehicle crashes, falls, violence, sports
• Can cause paralysis, speech, or memory problems
• Only X-Rays, CAT scans or MRI’s can show severity
• An injury to the brain can cause bleeding inside the skull
• Vertebrae: small bones in spinal cord
• Disks: Cartilage separates the vertebrae
• Nerves originate in the brain and extends into the
vertebrae so if either are injured, it can paralyze a
person
What to Look For
• Assess the scene to see if a head, neck or spine injury
could have occurred
o Motor vehicle crash
o Significant force
o Fall from a height
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Wearing a safety helmet that is broken
Complains of neck or back pain
Tingling or weakness in the extremities
Not fully alert
Appears intoxicated
Appears frail or older than 65 years or younger than 3
When to
Call 911
• If you suspect any
head, neck or spine
you should call 911
immediately
What to do until Help arrives
• Minimize movement of the person’s head, neck or
spine
• As long as the person is breathing normally, support the
head, neck and spine in the position found
o Place hands on both sides of the person’s head in the position you found it
What to do until Help arrives
• If the person is wearing
a helmet, do not
remove it.
• If person is unconscious,
keep the airway open
and check breathing
• Take steps to control
severe bleeding
• Keep the person from
getting chilled or
overheated
Concussion
• Type of brain injury that involves a temporary loss of
brain function resulting from a blow to the head
• May not loose consciousness
• Effects: Sleep, mood, cognitive disturbance,
sensitivity to light and noise.
o May appear immediately or hours/days later
When to Call 911
• Every suspected concussion should be treated
seriously so call 911 immediately or seek medical
care within an hour of injury
What to Look For
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Confusion
Headache
Repeated statements
Temporary memory loss
Brief loss of consciousness
Nausea and vomiting
Speech problems
Blurred vision
Light sensitivity
What to do until
Help arrives
• Maintain an open airway
• Control any bleeding
• Support the head and neck in the position in which
you found it
• Do not apply direct pressure if signs of skull fracture
• If there is clear fluid leaking from the ears or wound
in the scalp, cover the area loosely with a sterile
dressing
• Monitor the person for any changes
• Try to calm and reassure person
• Keep them talking to prevent unconsciousness
Chest Injuries
• Range from broken rib to serious life-threatening
• Caused by: Falls, sports, mishaps, crushing or
penetrating forces
What to Look For
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Trouble Breathing
Support injured area with hand or arm
Skin may appear flushed, pale or ashen
Coughing blood
May also have a spinal injury
Bruising on the chest
When to Call 911
• If you think the injury is serious, involves trouble
breathing or the spine, do not move the person and
call 911
• If the person is standing, do not have the person lie
down
What to do until Help Arrives
• Have the person rest in the
position that will make
breathing easier
• Bind the upper arm to the
chest on the injured side, and
it will help support the injured
area and make breathing
comfortable
• Use an object (pillow or
blanket) to support and
immobilize the area
• Monitor breathing and skin
condition
• Minimize shock
Pelvic Injuries
• Large, heavy bones of the hip that can range from
simple to life threatening.
What to Look for
Severe pain
Bruising
Possible external bleeding
Nausea
Vomiting
Weakness
Thirst
Tenderness or tight feeling in the abdomen
Possible loss of sensation in the legs or inability to move
legs
• Signs of Shock (Indicate internal bleeding or blood loss)
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When to Call 911
• Call 911 immediately if you suspect a pelvic injury
What to do until Help arrives
• Due to a pelvic injury
being related to the
lower spine, it is best
not to move the
person
• If possible, try to keep
the person lying flat
• Watch for signals of
internal bleeding and
minimize shock