Healthy bones are extremely strong, rigid and usually able to withstand strong forces. But if a force is too strong, a bone can fracture. Fractures are usually a result of a bad fall or car crash.
As you get older, your bones become weaker and you become more prone to falls and fractures. Young children are more prone to fractures because their bones are softer and they are more likely to have falls and accidents.
A bone fractures more easily if it is weakened by disease such as osteoporosis (which makes bones become thin and weak), by infection or by a tumour or cyst. This is called a pathological fracture.
Bones can also fracture as a result of repeated small stresses or strains. This type of fracture is known as a stress fracture and is common in athletes.
