8 Bones That Heal Without a Cast
The skeleton system is an amazing piece of work. Each of the 206 bones within the adult human body have a specific purpose to support, protect and move the body every which way. Considering the amount of accidents and strenuous activities we endure over a lifetime, it’s no wonder why so many bones get broken. Broken bones may be common, but not all of them will be treated with a bright colored cast. Depending on the severity of the fracture, there are certain bones that can heal well without a cast, and here are 8 of them:
- Toes
A broken toe usually occurs when something is dropped on your foot or you stub your toe. Fractured toes don’t usually need a cast to heal because they can be immobilized by buddy wrapping it, or bandaging the broken toe with a healthy one. Broken toes can take anywhere from four to six weeks to heal. - Fingers
Depending on the particular bone and type of fracture, broken fingers are usually treated with buddy wrapping, by bandaging the broken finger next to a healthy one. This method of immobilization usually takes about four to six weeks to heal. A splint may be applied to align the fracture fragments. - Ribs
Broken ribs can be a bit trickier than other broken bones because of their closeness to internal organs and threat of pneumonia. Thankfully, most broken ribs are only cracked and can heal on their own in six to eight weeks. - Collarbone
A broken collarbone is often treated with little more than an arm sling, medication and physical therapy. Depending on the severity of the injury, it could take anywhere from six to 12 weeks for the collarbone to heal, but movement should be restricted during this time. - Skull
Many fractured noggins can heal without a cast because the bone surrounding the brain naturally heals on its own. For example, a linear skull fracture is a break in the cranial bone that looks like a thin line but does not splinter, depress or distort the bone. Because linear skull fractures occur without damaging the brain, there is no treatment required. - Nose
Talk to hockey and football players – a broken nose, also called a nasal fracture, can heal without a cast by being realigned. With the help of your doctor, the broken bones and cartilage in your nose can be manually realigned by a procedure called closed reduction, which is done no more than 14 days after the incident. - Tailbone
A broken tailbone, or fractured coccyx, is a slow healing and often painful injury. The good thing is broken tailbones can heal without a cast. Because it’s such a painful injury, pain management is very important during the recovery stage, and certain measures should be taken to avoid placing pressure on the tailbone. - Pelvis
A broken pelvis can heal without a cast and surgery, but it depends on the severity of the fracture. Stable fractures of the pelvis can heal without a cast and surgery, but patients will likely have to use crutches or a walker and can’t put all of their weight on one or both legs for nearly three months. Despite limited mobility, stable pelvic fractures generally heal well in a three or more months.
