Bone Fractures: Anatomy & Physiology

System: Skeletal

Topic: Bone Fractures

          

             What is a bone Fracture? 

          Bianca Lopez

A bone fracture is an injury or break in a bone. A bone breaks when there is a force which a bone cannot withstand. There are many situations that can cause a bone fracture like a fall or a car accident. The symptoms of a bone fracture depend on the type of bone that was broken, or the damage to muscles, nerves, or blood vessels. Bone fractures also vary among children and adults because children’s bones are more flexible than adults’ bones. Adult's fractures heal slower than children’s fractures. Many     people fracture at least one bone during their lifetime.

Types of Fractures

Olivia Ceja

Fractures are classified by the cause and nature of the initial break. A traumatic fracture is one due to an initial injury. A pathologic fracture is one caused by a pre-existing conditions or disease. An open fracture is one exposed to the outside world by a rupture to the skin, while a closed fracture remains protected by the skin. Fractures can further be classified by the size, orientation, and location of the break. Further classifications of bone fractures include greenstick, transverse, fissured, oblique, comminuted, and spiral.  Greenstick fractures are incomplete and do not go completely through the entire bone. Transverse fractures are completely across the bone while the break happens at a right angle to the main axis of the bone. A fissure fracture is one of a longitudinal break that does not go completely through the bone. An oblique fracture is one at an angle other than 90 degrees and usually goes completely through the bone. A comminuted fracture is one that completely destroys the bone into smaller pieces. A spiral fracture is caused by pressure when a bone is twisted and can cause a seemingly circular break in response to such jagged motion. All of the above are few of the various types of fractures.

         




      

       

How to Repair a Bone Fracture

Samantha Razo

A fracture can be caused by an injury or a disease. Fractures can cause the broken part of the bone to pierce through the skin, or the skin can remain in place”. Immobilizing the place of where the fracture has occurred by putting it in a cast is one way of repairing a fractured bone. In some cases surgical assistance is needed it takes the form of a bone graft, where bone is replaced from another part of the body where it is not needed or from another’s body whether that other is living or not also known as a organ donor. Both types of bone grafts are commonly used in spine surgery. Fractured bones can be repaired by using plates, nails, screws, or pins to hold them in place and keep them together. Surgery is recommended for complicated fractures that cannot be aligned with a simple cast.

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Pillai, Prabhakar. "Different Types of Bone Fractures." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Web. 03 Nov. 2011. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/different-types-of-bone-fractures.html>."The Facts About Broken Bones." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. Web. 03 Nov. 2011. <http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/aches/broken_bones.html>.

"Types of Bone Fractures: Buckle Fracture, Stress Fracture, Comminuted Fracture, and More." WebMD - Better Information. Better Health. Web. 03 Nov. 2011. <http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-fractures-basic-information>.

Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, Benjamin. "Fracture Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment by MedicineNet.com." Fracture Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Ed. William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR. Medicine Net Inc., 2011. Web. 03 Nov. 2011. <http://www.medicinenet.com/fracture/article.htm>