A bone fracture (sometimes abbreviated FRX or Fx, Fx, or #) is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone. While many fractures are the result of high force impact or stress, bone fracture can also occur as a result of certain medical conditions that weaken the bones, such as osteoporosis, certain types of cancer, or osteogenesis imperfecta, where the fracture is then termed pathological fracture. Although broken bone and bone break are common colloquialisms for a bone fracture, break is not a formal orthopedic term.
In orthopedic medicine, fractures are classified in various ways.
* Closed fractures are those in which the skin is intact, while open (compound) fractures involve wounds that communicate with the fracture, or where fracture hematoma is exposed, and may thus expose bone to contamination. Open injuries carry a higher risk of infection; they require antibiotic treatment and usually urgent surgical treatment (debridement). This involves removal of all dirt, contamination, and dead tissue.
* Simple fractures are fractures that only occur along one line, splitting the bone into two pieces, while multi-fragmentary fractures (formerly called comminuted) involve the bone splitting into multiple pieces. A simple, closed fracture is much easier to treat and has a much better prognosis than an open, comminuted fracture.
Other considerations in fracture care are displacement (fracture gap) and angulation. If angulation or displacement is large, reduction (manipulation) of the bone may be required and, in adults, frequently requires surgical care. These injuries may take longer to heal than injuries without displacement or angulation.
Another type of bone fracture is a compression fracture. It usually occurs in the vertebrae, for example when the front portion of a vertebra in the spine collapses due to osteoporosis (a medical condition which causes bones to become brittle and susceptible to fracture, with or without trauma).
Other types of fracture are:
* Complete fracture: A fracture in which bone fragments separate completely.
* Incomplete fracture: A fracture in which the bone fragments are still partially joined.
* Linear fracture: A fracture that is parallel to the bone's long axis.
* Transverse fracture: A fracture that is at a right angle to the bone's long axis.
* Oblique fracture: A fracture that is diagonal to a bone's long axis.
* Spiral fracture: A fracture where at least one part of the bone has been twisted.
* Compacted fracture: A fracture caused when bone fragments are driven into each other.


Fracture Care