Slip and fall injuries can be a costly expense. According to the CDC, over 800,000 patients a year are hospitalized because of a fall injury.
If you are injured and in need of immediate care, call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room. OrthoIndy Trauma physicians treat patients at St.Vincent Indianapolis Level I Trauma Center. In less severe slip and fall accidents, OrthoIndy also has urgent care clinics conveniently located throughout Indianapolis.
Learn more about the most common slip and fall accidents that may lead to treatment by a trauma specialist.
Slip and fall injury types
1. Sprains and fractures
Wrists, ankles and knees are common joints that can twist during a fall, causing ligaments to tear. Falling can also lead to broken bones if you land on a hard surface. Common bones to break during a fall are the hip, leg, ankle, pelvis or hand.
2. Shoulder injuries
Falling on your shoulder can cause a dislocation or a brachial plexus injury. The brachial plexus is a web of nerves attaching your spinal cord to your shoulder, arm and hand. This injury often requires surgery and extensive rehabilitation.
3. Hip fractures
According to Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, more than 95 percent of hip fractures are caused by falling, usually by falling sideways. Hip fractures typically require surgery and extensive rehabilitation. The surgery may require implanting metal plates and screws or an artificial hip.
4. Back and spinal cord injuries
The impact of falling on your back or spinal cord can lead to varying degrees of paralysis (inability to move) or other neurological (nerve) damage, causing you to lose sensation in different parts of your body.
It can also cause a herniated disc to slip or can lead to a fractured vertebra (the bones in the spine). These types of falls can lead to severe pain and can limit your mobility. After the age of 65, spinal cord injuries are most often caused by a fall and falls cause more than 15 percent of spinal cord injuries.
Learn more about back pain treatment at OrthoIndy
5. Head injuries
Although OrthoIndy doesn’t treat head injuries or concussions, they are common and serious injuries that can occur during a slip and fall accident. Typically head injuries from falls affect younger kids or older adults. Falls can lead to concussions or traumatic brain injuries. Concussions can last a few days and more serious concussions can last a few weeks or more.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can lead to bruising, bleeding, torn tissue or other physical damage to the brain. According to brainline, falls result in the greatest number of TBI-related emergency department visits (523,043) and hospitalizations (62,334).
At OrthoIndy our specialists are prepared to treat a variety of slip and fall injuries related to bone, joint, muscles and spine. Learn more about trauma care at OrthoIndy.
Schedule an appointment
Your well-being is important to us. Click the button below or call us to schedule an appointment with one of our orthopedic specialists. If your injury or condition is recent, you can walk right into one of our OrthoIndy Urgent Care locations for immediate care. For rehabilitation and physical therapy, no referral is needed to see one of our physical therapists.
