Bone Fractures
Complete list of fracture information
A fracture is a complete or incomplete break in a bone resulting from the application
of excessive force.
General Informaiton about Bone Fractures
A fracture usually results from traumatic injury to bones causing the continuity of
bone tissues or bony cartilage to be disrupted or broken. Fracture classifications include
simple, compound, incomplete and complete. Simple fractures (more recently called
"closed") are not obvious as the skin has not been ruptured and remains intact.
Compound fractures (now commonly called "open") break the skin, exposing bone
and causing additional soft tissue injury and possible infection. A single fracture means
that one fracture only has occurred and multiple fractures refer to more than one fracture
occurring in the same bone. Fractures are termed complete if the break is completely
through the bone and described as incomplete or "greenstick" if the fracture
occurs partly across a bone shaft. This latter type of fracture is often the result of
bending or crushing forces applied to a bone.
Types of fractures
Fractures are also named according to the specific part of the bone involved and the
nature of the break. Identification of a fracture line can further classify fractures.
Types include linear, oblique, transverse, longitudinal, and spiral fractures. Fractures
can be further subdivided by the positions of bony fragments and are described as
comminuted, non-displaced, impacted, overriding, angulated, displaced, avulsed, and
segmental. Additionally, an injury may be classified as a fracture-dislocation when a
fracture involves the bony structures of any joint with associated dislocation of the same
joint.
Linear Fractures
Linear fractures have a break that runs parallel to the bone's main axis or in the
direction of the bone's shaft. For example, a linear fracture of the arm bone could extend
the entire length of the bone. Oblique and transverse fractures differ in that an oblique
fracture crosses a bone at approximately a 45° angle to the bone's axis. In contrast, a
transverse fracture crosses a bone's axis at a 90° angle. A longitudinal fracture is
similar to a linear fracture. Its fracture line extends along the shaft but is more
irregular in shape and does not run parallel to the bone's axis. Spiral fractures are
described as crossing a bone at an oblique angle, creating a spiral pattern. This break
usually occurs in the long bones of the body such as the upper arm bone (humerus) or the
thigh bone (femur). |
