Bone Bruise Information

A bone bruise differs from a bruise beneath the surface of the skin and a bruise inside a muscle. Bone bruises are long lasting and very painful, typically caused by falls and collisions.

Bone Cortex

• When someone’s bone strikes an object with sufficient force, a bone bruise can occur. The force causes small breaks and tears in the cortex of the bone, the bone’s outer layer.

At Risk

• Athletes often suffer bone bruises, as they can collide with other athletes or equipment in sports such as hockey, basketball, football and other contact sports.

Limited Motion

• The bruised area will be very difficult for someone to use until it fully heals, as the pain will reach high levels, making movement of the affected area limited.

Pain

• One of the most obvious and telltale symptoms of a bone bruise is a pain that can linger for days and even weeks at a time where the individual was injured.

Diagnosis

• Bone bruises are sometimes hard to diagnose because although swelling and some discoloration may accompany a bone bruise, this is not always the case. While an X-ray can reveal a bone fracture, it cannot discern a bone bruise.

Treatment

• Treating bone bruises involves icing the region to keep swelling to a minimum, refraining from activity so the area may fully heal and utilizing painkillers such as acetaminophen to relive pain symptoms.