Broken Arm

A broken arm can refer to a fracture of either of the two bones in the forearm (the radius or ulna) or a fracture of the condyle of the distal humerus (a broken elbow), a fracture of the radial neck, or a fracture of the humerus (upper arm bone). All such fractures require immediate medical attention. This is especially true for children, whose bone development can be adversely impacted by a fracture. These fractures are characterized by severe pain, swelling, an abnormal appearance/deformity in the arm, numbness or tingling sensations, discoloration/bruising and often, immobility. In cases where the bones have not been displaced, surgery may not be necessary. When bones have been displaced from their natural positioning, surgical care will likely be required to realign and stabilize the bone segments, often with instrumentation such as rods and screws. Physical therapy is usually required to restore full functioning capability to the arm.