What Are the Symptoms of a Broken Bone?
Signs and symptoms of a broken bone include:
- Swelling or bruising over a bone
- Deformity of an arm or leg
- Pain in the injured area that gets worse when the area is moved or pressure is applied
- An inability to bear weight on the affected foot, ankle, or leg
- Loss of function in the injured area
- In open fractures, bone protruding from the skin
Fractures are usually caused by a fall, blow, or other traumatic event.
Pathologic fractures are those caused by disease (such as cancer) that weakens the bones and can occur with little or no trauma. Osteoporosis, a disorder in which the bones thin and lose strength as they age, causes 1.5 million fractures each year in the U.S. -- especially in the hip, wrist, and spine.
Call Your Doctor About a Broken Bone or Go to an Urgent Care or Emergency Room If:
You think that you or someone you're with may have fractured a bone. This can be a medical emergency.