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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffMost people know right away if they break their arm, because there's often a loud snap or cracking sound. But some fractures can be more subtle.
The signs and symptoms of a broken arm include:
- Severe pain, which may increase with movement
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Bruising
- Obvious deformity, such as a bent arm or wrist
- Stiffness or inability to move your arm, wrist or elbow
- Inability to turn your arm from palm up to palm down or vice versa
When to see a doctor
If you have enough pain in your arm that you can't use it normally, see a doctor right away. And do the same for your child. Delays in diagnosis and treatment of a broken arm can lead to poor healing.
- Broken arm. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00078. Accessed May 29, 2009.
- Woolfrey KG, et al. Forearm. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/140428056-3/0/1365/125.html. Accessed May 29, 2009.
- Geiderman JM. Humerus and elbow. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/140428056-3/846542240/1365/128.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02845-4..50054-8--cesec3_1945. Accessed May 29, 2009.
- Forearm fractures in children. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00039. Accessed May 29, 2009.
- Mathison DJ, et al. General principles of fracture management: Fracture patterns and description in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 29, 2009.
- Petron DJ, et al. Distal radius fractures in adults. http://uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 1, 2009.
- Osteoporosis overview. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Osteoporosis/overview.pdf. Accessed June. 1, 2009.
- Bassett R. Proximal humeral fractures. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed June 2, 2009.
- Fracture. Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary. 31st ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: W.B. Saunders; 2007. http://dorlands.com/def.jsp?id=100042439. Accessed June 2, 2009.
