Fracture

Description

A fracture is a complete or incomplete break in a bone, often caused by a fall or by forceful contact. The following different types of fractures:

• Complete fracture: The broken bone is completely separated. Such a fracture may be displaced—the bones are not completely touching, if at all, or they are angulated—or they may not be displaced (the ends are in proper alignment and touching fully).

• Incomplete (greenstick) fracture: The broken bone is not completely separated; this type of fracture may or may not be angulated, and there is some bone continuity.

• Open (compound) fracture: At least one part of the fractured bone has broken through the skin. There is an increased risk of infection with this type of fracture.

• Closed fracture: The fracture has not broken through the skin.

• Comminuted fracture: The bone is broken into three or more segments.

• Compression fracture: The break occurs from extreme pressure on the bone (includes crushing injury).

• Impacted fracture: The broken ends have been driven into each other.

• Avulsion fracture: A small piece of bone is pulled off the main bony segment by a tendon or ligament as the result of a strong force.

• Pathologic fracture: A break occurs from a minor injury in bone weakened or destroyed by disease, including osteoporosis and tumors.

• Stress fracture: A complete or incomplete hairline fracture or crack in a bone caused by intense exercise or repetitive and prolonged pressure on the bone.

Common signs and symptoms

• Pain, tenderness, bleeding, bruising, and swelling at the fracture site

• Weakness and inability to bear weight on the injured extremity

• Paleness and deformity (sometimes)

• Loss of pulse, numbness, tingling, or paralysis below the fracture site (usually an extremity). This is an emergency!

< div class='tao-gold-member'>

Only gold members can continue reading. Log In or Register to continue

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Related posts:

Birth Control and Sports Biceps Tendon Subluxation Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm Dislocation or Subluxation Meniscal Cyst Subtalar Dislocation

Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel

Join

Full access? Get Clinical Tree