Trauma · Chapter 20 Not started

Musculoskeletal Injuries

Fractures, dislocations, sprains, and the splinting principles behind every stable package.

Key points

Signs of fracture: deformity, point tenderness, swelling, crepitus, guarding, and loss of use — when in doubt, splint.
Check CSM (circulation, sensation, movement) distal to the injury before AND after every splint.
Splint the joint above and the joint below a long-bone injury; splint bones above and below an injured joint.
Splint angulated fractures per protocol: long bones may be gently aligned to restore circulation; joints are generally splinted as found.
A femur fracture can bleed 1–1.5 liters internally — traction splints (per protocol) reduce pain, bleeding, and further damage for mid-shaft femur fractures.
The boot-top fracture (tib-fib) is the classic ski injury; the FOOSH (fall on outstretched hand) drives wrist and shoulder injuries in boarders.

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