Xrays & Fractures

Most everyone knows that xrays are particulary helpful in diagnosing fractures and broken bones. In fact, just about everyone I know has had an xray for that reason at one time or another. This amazes me because I didn't have my first xray until I was in my late 20's. Childhood brought many cuts, bruises and bumps but my parents didn't take us to the Emergency Room every time, thankfully.
Ok..back to my topic..fractures. We get fractures from people of all ages..babies to 95 yr. olds. Since young children have alot of cartilege, their bones tend to much more pliable & harder to break. In fact, some fractures in children are called "greenstick fractures" because they look like a green stick being broken..It sort of shreds some but doesn't break all the way through. Older bones have less calcium so they tend to be more brittle & easier broken. For this reason it is very important for adults over 35 to replenish their calcium to maintain good bone health.
So, what happens if you come in and have an xray but the Dr. says there is no break. Well, that is usually good news. It doesn't mean that you won't have pain because there was obviously some trauma there that will need to heal. If you continue to have increasing pain after 1 week many Dr's will tell you to return for a follow up xray. It is possible to have a tiny crack through the bone that will not show up initially. After using the part for a few days that crack could seperate a bit & be more easily visualized on the follow up xray. We see this occasionally with hip xrays. The first xray will be essentially normal. After a few days of trying to bear weight with increased pain, the second xray will show a fracture. This does not mean the DR. missed your fracture, it simply means that it had not been significant enough at first to be seen on an xray.
I hope this has helped provide some useful xray information for you.