Approximately 1.92 million accidents on U.S. roads resulted in injuries to 2.74 million people in 2019, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. You don't have to be in a serious accident to suffer debilitating injuries that alter your life and cause you severe pain.If you don't get the care you need, you can also suffer long-term effects that lead to complications and chronic pain and conditions. Orthopedic personal injuries are among the most common outcomes when people are physically injured in a car collision.

What Are Orthopedic Injuries?

Orthopedics is a segment of medicine that focuses on the musculoskeletal system, which includes the bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and soft tissues surrounding these areas. Car accidents often damage this structure. Injury Assistance Network connects you with orthopedic surgeons who frequently diagnose musculoskeletal injuries resulting from accidents.

What Injuries Are Most Common?

Car collisions can damage any part of the body. The musculoskeletal system extends from head to toe, and any part can be injured. Not all of these injuries are immediately apparent. Some may take days or weeks for symptoms to appear.It is essential to seek orthopedic medical attention after a car accident to ensure that you catch an orthopedic injury before it becomes more serious. Orthopedic doctors can diagnose damage to soft tissue and skeletal structure even when you don't realize you've suffered an orthopedic personal injury. These are the types we see most often.

Whiplash

Approximately 3 million Americans suffer a whiplash injury each year, most often from car accidents. This injury is mostly likely underreported, as people may not realize until after the accident that they have this type of neck injury. Whiplash occurs when the neck is moved forcefully and quickly in one direction and then in the opposite direction, overextending the soft tissues of the cervical spine.Whiplash can cause severe damage, leading to long-term problems, especially if it is not treated promptly and adequately. Not everyone has the same symptoms. Possible signs of the condition include:

Neck pain (mild to severe)
Tingling in the neck
Pain radiating to the shoulders and arms
Headache, especially at the base of the skull
Pain in the upper back and shoulders
Reduced range of motion
Numbness or weakness of the neck muscles

Suppose you have been in a car accident and have experienced any of these symptoms. In that case, an orthopedic doctor can accurately diagnose the condition and develop a treatment plan to help you fully recover. This may involve orthopedic physical therapy and other modalities.

Spinal Injuries

Spinal injuries include any injury to the vertebrae, connective tissues, discs, or nerves in the upper or lower back. Examples of these orthopedic personal injuries include:Herniated Disc. The discs in your spine provide a cushion between each vertebra. A car accident can put physical strain on your spine, causing a disc to slip out of place. This injury usually occurs in the lower back.Pinched Nerves. Swelling along your spine or herniated discs can put pressure on your nerves, causing pain and numbness. Sciatica is a common form of pinched nerve and one of the orthopedic injuries resulting from a car accident. A pinched sciatic nerve causes pain in your lower back, which spreads through your hip region and down into your legs.Fractured vertebra. Hairline cracks or fractures in one or more vertebrae are often the result of severe compression of the spine. These injuries frequently affect the surrounding nerves as well and can cause severe damage to the spine.Soft tissue damage. Car accidents often result in sprains and strains along the spine. Sprains refer to the tearing or stretching of ligaments and the tissue that connects bone to bone. A strain is a tear or stretching of the tendon, the tissue that connects muscle to bone.Orthopedic doctors can accurately diagnose your spinal injury so you can get the kind of help you need to recover and return to your normal activities. Symptoms of spinal cord damage can vary widely, but typically, people experience pain along the spinal cord and in adjacent areas. Although the pain can be excruciating, it is not always, so getting a proper diagnosis is essential to avoid complications.

Bone Fractures

Bone fractures occur when a bone breaks, cracks, or splinters. If you have a broken bone, the type of orthopedic personal injury is usually apparent. However, hairline fractures and fissures may be less so.Stress fractures, such as wrist fractures or distal radius fractures, can occur due to the violent impact of a car accident.Fractures can break the bone into two pieces or break it into multiple fragments. Additionally, compound fractures occur when the bone breaks through the skin. Symptoms of a bone fracture include:

Severe pain
Swelling
Lack of function or mobility
A change in the shape of the affected region

Some bone fractures can be difficult to see, even with X-rays, and require more extensive testing to diagnose. An orthopedic doctor from Injury Assistance Network may need to perform a bone scan, CT scan, or MRI to determine the location of the fracture.Car accidents often result in broken bones in the extremities, including the hands, wrists, arms, feet, ankles, and legs. Hand and wrist fractures are common in drivers due to the extreme pressure placed on the hands when gripping and holding the steering wheel. Although these injuries are often excruciating, you may not notice them right away. If you can not move the injured part or shock takes over, you may not feel any pain right after the accident occurs.

Joint Dislocation

Dislocation is another of the most common orthopedic injuries you can suffer after a car accident. Instead of breaking a bone, the force of the impact can cause the bone to pop out of its joint. Shoulder dislocation and elbow dislocation are the most common dislocations in car accidents. Still, individuals can also sustain orthopedic personal injury in their fingers, jaw, knees, hips, wrists, and ankles.While complete dislocations are usually fairly obvious, if you have a partial dislocation, you may not immediately realize the nature of your injury. Whether full or partial, these injuries are often painful and cause swelling in the joint, bruising, and instability.Dislocations can result in torn or stretched tendons, damage to surrounding muscles, and nerve damage. An orthopedic doctor creates a treatment plan that addresses the extent and severity of damage caused by a dislocation.

Soft Tissue Damage

When you get into a car accident, soft tissue damage can occur anywhere in your body. It can appear in the form of contusions (bruises). Contusions range from mild to severe.Collisions may result in hematomas, a more serious type of bruise that causes blood to pool outside of vessels and possible tissue damage. Soft tissue damage also includes muscle injuries, sprains, strains, and nerve injuries.

Where to Find Orthopedic Specialists to Treat Your Car Accident Injuries

Orthopedic injuries can be debilitating and, if left untreated, can lead to complications and chronic illness. If you have been in a car accident that has resulted in injuries, Injury Assistance Network can help. Our network of medical professionals diagnoses your injuries and determines a treatment plan tailored to your conditions and your life.