Anatomical Structure: The human arm is the limb that extends from shoulder to the wrist and consists of the upper and lower arm. The upper arm extends from shoulder to elbow while the lower arm from elbow to wrist. The arm is a complex structure that consists of bones, joints, muscles, tissues, muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves apart from the underlying circulatory system. There are three long bones and several shorter ones. The different types of joints include the ball and socket joints of the shoulders and the hinge joints of elbow and wrist. The long bone, or the humerus is extremely strong, and designed for weight-bearing of up to 140 kilograms. Movement of the arm is achieved by the muscles and joints in specific directions. The upper arm is capable of rotation because of the ball and socket joint in the shoulder.

Causes of Arm Fracture

A broken or fractured arm is a relatively common type of fracture that is observed in most ER rooms in people both genders and of all ages. Fractures occur when the delicate structure of the arm and the bones are distended, deformed or subjected to trauma. Some of the common causes of fracture include:

• Accidents – fractures caused by impact, twisting or hyper-extension of the limb
• Falls – on the outstretched arm which puts the body weight on the arm causes fracture
• Sports injury – direct blows and injury, hyper-extension of limb, twisting can cause fracture
• Child abuse – fractures seen in young children could be a potential child abuse problem
• Direct trauma – a blow from a blunt object, being hit by a heavy falling object, trauma during car accidents etc

In car accidents, arm fracture is caused by hitting the hard interiors of the vehicle, by hyper-extension of the limb, twisting, air-bag injury or being crushed between different parts of the car/s.

Symptoms

Following an accident, mild fractures may go undetected. However, any significant pain that does not respond to home remedies and persists for a long time, pain when pressed etc may be indicative of a fracture.

The typical symptoms include:

• Severe pain
• Inability to move the limb
• Obvious deformity is sometimes seen
• Severe swelling
• Open wound in case of open fracture where pieces of broken bone pierce through the tissues and skin
• Decreased sensation in case of nerve damage

Diagnosis

Arm fractures are relatively easy to diagnose and identify. Following a traumatic incident, fall or event, a visit to an ER room will help to diagnose possible arm fractures. The doctor relies on the following to make an accurate diagnosis:

• Observation and examination
• Physical examination
• Patient interview and reporting
• Gathering details about the traumatic event
• X-rays
• CT Scan

Treatments and Management of Arm Fracture

If the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment and management should be started immediately so that the bones set in the correct alignment. Otherwise this could lead to deformity and nerve/circulation damage, restricted mobility and chronic pain. Treatment consists of:

• Stabilizing the arm with splints
• Restricting movement with cast (lower arm)  and sling (upper arm) for six weeks
• Application of ice to reduce swelling
• Pain relieving medication
• Medication to reduce swelling

Severe fractures require:

• Hospitalization
• Surgery
• Treatment for blood loss
• Treatment for lacerations
• Antibiotics
• Long-term physiotherapy
• Nerve damage assessment

How We Can Assist

In case you or a loved one suffers a broken/fractured arm following a car accident, once the immediate medical attention has been provided to the victim, you must seek legal assistance from our car accident lawyers. This is to ensure that you receive the full statutory benefits due to you. In case the accident was caused by the fault or negligence of someone, you need to seek compensation through filing a lawsuit. We can provide concrete evidence about how the broken arm affects your life, mobility, career and economic/social status.

Our personal injury lawyers can assist you with putting together a claim for compensation. They can represent you in negotiations with insurance companies while putting a “value” on the case. Insurance companies may contest your claims and the degree of injury. We can gather strong evidence to show loss of income due to inability to work and we can also help to document the medical costs, hospitalization costs, care-giver and household expenditures directly caused by the accident.

Our no win no fee lawyers can ensure that your rights are safeguarded since in the time following a traumatic event, many victims may inadvertently give recorded statements or provide signed authorizations which could weaken your case.

If you, your family or a friend has been injured in an accident, please feel free to speak to one of our injury lawyers for a free consultation about how we are able to assist in making a personal injury claim. We consult in all cities across Ontario with a no win no fee guarantee. Our personal injury lawyers have helped victims secure millions of dollars in personal injury cases. Call us Toll Free On our 24/7 Injury Hotline: 1 – 844 495 7333.