Broken Bones and Dislocations

Fractures are breaks in the bone that don't break the skin. Compound fractures occur when the broken bone pushes its way through the skin. Setting and splinting broken bones are beyond the scope of this book. Refer to a first aid field manual for help in this area.

Dislocations occur when joints get misaligned. To treat a dislocation, you have to manually realign the joint. This is usually accompanied by sharp pain as you realign the joints, then less pain once you've got things back in place.

Splint the injured area for up to two weeks, then gradually return to using it. It's going to be stiff at first and will require rehabilitation.