Mrs. Debbie Morgan is a 45-year-old female who works as a stocking clerk for a local home
improvement store. While she was at work today a large box of metal rivets fell from a 20-ft.-
high overhead shelf, striking her outstretched arm and knocking her to the ground. The
ambulance personnel reported that she had lost quite a bit of blood at the accident scene and was
“knocked out” when they arrived. To minimize further hemorrhage, the paramedics applied a
pressure bandage to her arm.
You meet the paramedics as they bring Mrs. Morgan into the emergency room and begin to
assess her for injuries. She is awake and alert, but complaining of severe left arm and back pain,
plus she has a “killer headache.” To fully examine her injuries you remove four blood-soaked
bandages from her arm. You notice a large open wound on her arm with what appears to be bone
tissue sticking out of the skin. She also has bruises covering her left shoulder, left wrist, and
lower back. To determine the extent of her injuries Mrs. Morgan undergoes several x-rays, which
reveal the following:
1) fracture of the left humerus at the proximal diaphysis,
2) depressed fracture of the occipital bone,
3) fracture of the 3rd lumbar vertebral body.
Short Answer Questions
- Define the following terms, used in the case and also in associated questions:
a. hemorrhage
b. fracture
c. proximal
d. diaphysis - One way bones are classified is by their shape. How would you classify the bones fractured
by Mrs. Morgan? - The body of Mrs. Morgan’s vertebra is fractured. What type of bone tissue makes up the
majority of the vertebral body? Describe the structure and function of this type of bone. - The diaphysis of Mrs. Morgan’s humerus is fractured. What type of bone makes up the
majority of the diaphysis of long bones like the humerus? Describe the layers of bone tissue
found here. - Most connective tissue, including bone, is highly vascular. Which anatomical structures in
Mrs. Morgan’s compact bone house blood vessels? What sign or symptom in Mrs. Morgan’s
case is directly related to disruption of these structures by her bone fractures? How is the sign
or symptom related to these anatomical structures?
