Types of Bone Fractures

A fracture is a break in a bone, and it requires medical attention. Fractures are common and anyone can fracture a bone. Fracture and break mean the same thing and both cause damage to the bone. Break is a layman's term and not widely used by the medical profession. A fractured bone causes pain that make it impossible to use that part of the body.

Causes of Fractures

• Causes of fractures can be from a trauma that might a result from a fall, car accident, height and weight of a person, sport athletes, physical abuse, weakened bones, osteoporosis due to increasing age or certain kinds of caner. Children or adults who play sports or are very active can experience a bone fracture. Middle-aged women are more likely than men to suffer from bone fractures because of bone strength.

Classification of Fractions

• There are two types of fractures open and closed. A closed fracture does not break the skin and an open fracture protrudes through the skin.

  · Simple: does not piece the skin
  · Compound: pierces the skin
  · Complete: breaks in two or more pieces
  · Incomplete: cracks and does not separate
  · Comminuted: cracks into many pieces
  · Impacted: bones driven into each other
  · Stress fracture is an invisible hairline break

Common Types in Children

• A child's bone is different than an adult bone because a child's bone will heal faster, are more flexible and less likely to break than adult bones.

  · Greenstick: where the bone is bent
  · Transverse: straight line across the bone
  · Spiral: twists around a bone
  · Oblique: diagonal break across a bone
  · Comminuted: break is in three or more pieces
  · Compression: many vertebrae in the spine are broken

Symptoms of Fractures

• Each person differs in symptoms regarding the location and impact of the fracture. Bone fractures give you pain, swelling, numbness and tingling; deformity in the injured area; difficulty in using or moving the injured area; warmth, bruising or redness in that area. Some children may not experience symptoms at all. These symptoms can resemble other illnesses or disease and it is better to always consult your doctor for a correct diagnosis.

Treatment of Fractures

• All bone fractures should be taken seriously and treated promptly. A fracture must be realigned to heal properly. Treatment could be an X-ray, a splint or cast to immobilize the fracture, pain medication, traction or surgery. An open fracture can be dangerous if left untreated and complications could happen such as infection of the bone, which could lead to surgery. Recuperation takes time according the age of the person, health and type of fracture.