Bone Fracture - Signs and Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms

Although bone tissue itself contains no nociceptors, bone fracture is painful for several reasons:

• Breaking in the continuity of the periosteum, with or without similar discontinuity in endosteum, as both contain multiple nociceptors.

• Edema of nearby soft tissues caused by bleeding of torn periosteal blood vessels evokes pressure pain.

• Muscle spasms trying to hold bone fragments in place

Damage to adjacent structures such as nerves or vessels, spinal cord and nerve roots (for spine fractures), or cranial contents (for skull fractures) can cause other specific signs and symptoms.