Fractures & Broken Bones

Fractures can occur in any part of the body, so long as there is a bone present. There are many types of bone fractures that a person can sustain, including:

• Closed Fracture
• Open Fracture
• Displaced Fracture
• Partial Fracture
• Complete Fracture
• Stress Fracture

With a closed fracture, the skin is not broken or open, so the fracture is contained within the body. Conversely, an open fracture means the skin is open, the bone may be exposed, and there is a significant and serious risk of infection. Displaced fractures are when there is a gap between the two ends of the broken bone, as if it moved apart after the fracture. Fractures that are displaced often require surgery.

A partial fracture is one where the bone did not fully break, while a complete fracture is one where the bone did fully break and separated into two or more pieces. Stress fractures, or hairline fractures, are essentially a crack in the bone. Depending on the location and size of the stress fracture, it may be difficult to see the injury with a standard x-ray.

There are different types of closed, open, partial, and complete fractures as well. They are:

• Transverse – straight break across the bone
• Oblique – diagonal break across the bone
• Spiral – spiral break across the bone
• Compression – bone has been crushed and appears flattened
• Comminuted – bone has been fragmented into several pieces
• Avulsion – fragment of bone has been pulled off
• Impacted – bones have been driven together

Trauma fractures are fractures that have resulted from some form of trauma, such as a car accident, sports accident, or major fall. These may also be the result of repetitive forces causing damage to the bone or bones over time. For example, a person who routines runs may experience a stress fracture due to the repetition and frequency of additional force on the bones in their hip, leg, knee, ankle, and foot.