X-Ray Vision 30 Informal Points

X-Ray Vision 30 Informal Points

Name ______

X-Ray Vision – 30 Informal Points

Introduction

Although bones are very strong, they do sometimes fracture or break when they are placed under extreme stress. Your bones have great tensile and compressional strength and, thanks to both the hard mineral salts and flexible collagen fibers, can endure both stretching and squeezing. But sometimes the forces placed on bone are too great. Bones can crack, they can snap, or they can poke out of your skin. Your body is able to heal some of this damage on its own, but most times, medical assistance is necessary.

X-rays are a painless imaging techniquethat allows doctors to view internal injury and diagnose a variety of illnesses. A high-energy form of radiation is passed through the body and projected onto a film. Hard tissues such as bone absorb the X-rays and appear white. X-rays pass through softer tissues, such as muscle, and show up in black and gray. Other than the pain you may feel, X-rays are most often the first step in identifying a broken bone.

In this activity, you will take a look at X-rays of broken or damaged bone. Your task is to identify the bones involved, the type of fracture and the possible damage to internal organs. In the next activity, you will look at how the body is able to repair this damage and heal broken bone.

Procedure

  1. Research each of the following types of bone fractures. Draw a diagram for each type of fracture that shows how the bone is damaged.

Fracture Type / Description / Picture
Comminuted / A comminuted fracture, in particular, is especially painful because of what it involves. A comminuted fracture happens when the bone involved is actually broken into several pieces. In order for it to be classified as a comminuted fracture, there must be at least three separate pieces of bone involved. This type of fracture is usually challenging to treat because the break is so complex. Adding to the complication is if the fracture is actually open, because open fractures have a very high infection rate and takes longer to heal. /
Depression / Typically in the skull in which the fragment is depressed below the normal surface /
Compression / A compression fracture is typically caused by a loss of bone mass (osteoporosis) that occurs as part of aging. A fall, cough, or lifting of a heavy object may cause a fracture of the back bones. /
Transverse / Atransverse fractureis when the broken piece of bone is at a right angle to the bone's axis. They typically occur in the long bones of the arms or legs. /
Oblique / An obliquefractureis when the break has a curved or sloped pattern. /
Spiral /
Greenstick / Agreenstick fractureis afracturein a young, soft bone in which the bone bends and breaks.Greenstick fracturesusually occur most often during infancy and childhood when bones are soft. /
Open vs. Closed / Anopen fractureis an injury that not only damages the bone but will break the skin. This can cause the bone to protrude out of the skin. Surgery is required to repair the bone and to close the wound in the skin. ... Aclosed fractureoccurs when there is bone breakage but no break in the skin.
  1. Obtain a set of X-rays of broken bones. Be careful not to write on, rip or bend each X-ray. The X-rays can best be viewed by either laying them on white paper or by holding them up to a window.
  2. Use your knowledge of skeletal system anatomy and the types offractures to analyze the 13 X-rays of broken or damaged bone. You may also refer to the Fracture Fact Sheet.Two of the X-rays show dislocations – the separation of two bones where they meet at a joint.
  3. Match the descriptions provided on the Student Resource Sheet with the injuries you identified on the X-rays.
  4. Career Journal: Medical professionals who specialize in taking and reading these X-rays are called X-ray technicians. Use the Internet to research this career area. In your career journal, write an advertisement for a job opening in this field. Think about the education that is required, the duties of the job, the salary range and the experience needed. You may want to begin your ad with “Wanted – X-Ray Technician.”

Conclusion Questions

  1. Describe at least three bones that function to protect a particular internal organ.

Ribs protect lungs and heart. Skull protects the brain. Pelvis protect the reproductive organs.

  1. Which do you think would have a greater impact on the body’s homeostasis, an open or a closed fracture? Explain your reasoning.

An open fracture would upset homeostasis more because it pokes through other structures, breaking through the skin. This may cause infection and bleeding and many body systems must be involved in the healing process.

  1. Describe at least three types of medical interventions that can be used to treat and repair broken bones. Explain the theory behind each intervention.

Resetting, surgery, immobilizing by putting in a cast, vitamin/mineral supplements

  1. Explain how a dislocation relates to joints and movement.

A dislocation occurs when a bone slips out of a joint. For example, the top of your arm bone fits into a joint at your shoulder. When it slips or pops out of that joint, you have a dislocated shoulder. You can dislocate almost any joint in your body, including your knee, hip, ankle, or shoulder.

Since a dislocation means your bone is no longer where it should be, you should treat it as an emergency and seek medical attention as soon as possible. An untreated dislocation could cause damage to your ligaments, nerves, or blood vessels.

  1. What do you think happens to the fracture rate of bones as we age? Explain.

It increases because bones become weaker and osteoporosis sets in.

  1. Explain how damage to a bone could affect other body systems.

Fat tissue from the bone marrow can leak into the blood, causing fat embolism syndrome, which can cause lung problems and seizures. If the skin breaks (open fracture), pathogens can enter the body and cause an infection.

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