Blog #13-Types of Fractures

Get a description and a drawing and an xray of each type of fracture

Stable Fracture:

Stable ankle fractures involve a fracture of the outside bone of the ankle joint (the fibula), however, the ankle joint itself remains well positioned and stable. They are associated with pain and walking on the ankle is difficult or impossible due to pain. Treatment is non-operative although it often takes 6 weeks or more for the bone to heal and the total time to a complete recovery can be many months.

Open, compound fracture:

If the bone breaks in such a way that bone fragments stick out through the skin or a wound penetrates down to the broken bone, the fracture is called an "open" or compound fracture. For example, when a pedestrian is struck by the bumper of a moving car, the broken shinbone may protrude through a tear in the skin and other soft tissues. Because open fractures often involve more damage to the surrounding muscles, tendons, and ligaments than closed fractures, they have a higher risk for complications and take a longer time to heal. This type of fracture is particularly serious because once the skin is broken, infection in both the wound and the bone can occur.

Transverse fracture:

A fracture of a bone is the same as a break in the bone. A fracture of a transverse process is a break of a part of one of the bones in the spine. This part extends out from the side of the main body of the bone (called the vertebral body). A transverse process is shaped like a wing. They extend from both the left and right sides of the vertebral body.

Oblique fracture:

A fracture is a break in a bone, and is classified by a number of factors, including the fracture line, or where the break occurs in relation to the axis of the bone. The axis is the direction of the bone’s shaft. Fracture lines can be linear, transverse, longitudinal, spiral and oblique. An oblique fracture is a break which has a fracture line that runs diagonal to the bone shaft.

 Comminuted fracture:

A bone injury that results in more than 2 separate bone components is known as a comminuted fracture. Some comminuted fractures have specific names such as 'butterfly fragment' or 'segmental fracture'.