An Expert Guide to Avulsion Fractures


Fractures are of different types, and they can occur in any part of the body. One of the types of fractures is an avulsion fracture and it can also affect anywhere in our body. In this post, we will talk about avulsion fractures in detail along with their introduction, causes, and treatment. Let us start with a brief introduction to these types of fractures.

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What Are Avulsion Fractures?

An avulsion fracture is a type of break in which a small piece of broken bone pulls away with a tendon or ligament. Such injuries are common in athletes and those who are engaged in high-impact physical activities. 

If we talk about the common locations that get affected by avulsion fractures, then they include the elbow, hip, and ankle. However, other bones like the shoulder, hand, finger, and knee may also get affected. 

What Are the Causes of Avulsion Fractures?

The commonest cause of avulsion fracture is sports activities like football and boxing. The reason behind this is playing sports puts a lot of stress on limbs. It may occur because of a sudden change in direction, sprinting, kicking the ball, falling on an outstretched hand, suddenly accelerating while running, and sliding. All these movements may cause a tendon or ligament to pull away a small piece of bone resulting in an avulsion fracture. 

What Are the Symptoms of Avulsion Fractures?

Fractures are painful and there is no difference in that when it comes to avulsion fractures. However, there are certain symptoms that are noticed in specific cases. People with avulsion fractures may experience these symptoms:

  • Bruising around the affected area
  • Swelling
  • Muscular pain
  • Popping or cracking sound at the break site
  • If the fracture is in the leg, limping may be seen
  • Difficulty in moving your limb

It is important to consult the healthcare service provider if you experience any of these symptoms along with pain. This is because timely diagnosis is important to prevent making the condition worse. Let us briefly discuss the diagnosis of the condition. 

What is the Diagnosis for Avulsion Fractures?

The diagnosis is made depending on the symptoms experienced by the patient. At first, the healthcare service provider will perform a physical examination to identify the injured site and painful movements. Several questions will also be asked by the doctor to make the right diagnosis. Different imaging tests will also be ordered to confirm the fracture and its severity:

  • X-ray examination
  • Computed tomography (CT) scan

What is the Treatment for Avulsion Fractures?

The treatment of avulsion fracture depends on the bone that broke and the severity of the fracture. However, the treatment options available include:

  • Immobilization using a cast or splint
  • Anti-inflammatory medications to improve pain and inflammation
  • Restricted activity
  • Cold therapy to improve inflammation
  • Physiotherapy

Above all, surgery is the last option that is recommended in severe cases in which non-surgical methods fail to provide any relief. Open reduction and internal fixation is the commonest surgical procedure that is performed for fixing avulsion fractures. 

Siora Surgicals Pvt. Ltd. is a leading orthopedic manufacturing company in India operating for over 3 decades. The company manufactures a huge range of CE-certified trauma implants & instruments. Siora also exhibits its quality range of orthopedic implants at various global medical healthcare conferences. This year, the company will be exhibiting at FIME Exhibition 2023 in Miami. 

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