Fractures

Fractures

• Disruption or break in continuity of structure of bone
• Majority of fractures from traumatic injuries
• Some fractures secondary to disease process
  • Cancer or osteoporosis

Classifications

• Classification according to external environment
  • Open fracture
    • The skin is broken and bone exposed, causing soft tissue injury
  • Closed fracture
    • The skin remains intact
• Fractures can be classified as
  • Complete
    • if the break goes completely through the bone
  • Incomplete
    • Fracture occurs partly across a bone shaft but the bone is still intact.
    • An incomplete fracture is often the result of bending or crushing forces applied to a bone.
• Based on direction of fracture line
  • Linear
  • Oblique
    • The line of the fracture extends across and down the bone
  • Transverse
    • The line of the fracture extends across the bone shaft at a right angle to the longitudinal axis
  • Longitudinal
  • Spiral
    • The line of the fracture extends in a spiral direction along the bone shaft.
• Displaced or nondisplaced
  • Displaced: two ends separated from one another
    • Often comminuted or oblique
  • Nondisplaced: periosteum is intact and bone is aligned.
    • Usually transverse, spiral , or greenstick