article_snippet: And if a broken bone is not stabilised quickly, the impact can be devastating.
article_snippet: At the very least, people suffer prolonged pain and inconvenience,’ says Mr Kelly,
article_snippet: but it can also lead to ‘chronic functional limitation with long-term pain, early symptoms of osteoarthritis or a stiff joint.
article_snippet: a broken bone may also fail to fuse and need complex surgery later.
article_snippet: But more subtle injuries require a systematic approach that comes with experience.
article_snippet: This means NHS also picks up a substantial bill for surgery and other treatments that would have been avoided if fractures were detected earlier.
article_snippet: Yet observers have noted an increase in missed fractures.
article_snippet: As a result, the patients have had a delay in treatment, often resulting in the fractures becoming worse,’ she says.
article_snippet: Certain types of fractures are more susceptible to being missed in X-rays .
article_snippet: Certain types of fractures are more susceptible to being missed.
article_snippet: This year, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is due to issue wider guidelines on the diagnosis of fractures in emergency departments.