Broken bones

A break or a crack in a bone is known as a fracture. Fractures can affect any bone in the body.

Bones can fracture in a number of different ways. A simple (or closed) fracture is a clean break to the bone that does not damage any surrounding tissue or break through the skin.

A compound (or open fracture) is when the surrounding soft tissue and skin is damaged. This kind of fracture is more serious as there is a higher risk of infection.

Healthy bones are extremely strong and usually able to withstand strong forces. However, if a force is too great or the bone is abnormal it can fracture.

As you get older your bones become weaker and you become more prone to falls and fractures. One in two women and one in five men will have a fracture after the age of 50.

Young children get different types of fractures, because their bones are more elastic. They also have growth plates at the ends of the bones, which can be damaged. Growth plates are the areas of growing bone at the end of long bones in children and adolescents.

Fractures are usually a result of an accident such as a bad fall or car crash. The time it takes for a bone to heal depends on the type of fracture, where it is and if it is an open or closed fracture. It is a gradual process and can take anything from a few weeks to a few months.

Types of fracture

Different types of fracture include:

• Transverse, a straight break across the bone.
• Oblique, a slanting break.
• Spiral, a winding break.
• Longitudinal, a break along the length of the bone.
• Comminuted, when the bone is shattered into several pieces. This is more common in serious accidents.
• Torus or buckle fracture, a fracture that occurs in children, when the bone deforms but does not crack. It is painful but stable.
• Greenstick fracture, which occurs in children when the bone partly fractures on one side but does not break completely because the rest of the bone is able to bend. Young bone is softer and more elastic than adult bone.
• Avulsion fracture, which occurs when a muscle or ligament that supports or is attached to a bone pulls on the bone, causing it to fracture.
• Compression or crush fracture, when the bone collapses. This usually happens in the spongey bone found in the spine.
• Fracture dislocation, when a joint becomes dislocated and there is also a fracture of one of the bones of the joint.
• Impacted fracture, when one fragment of bone is driven into another when the bone is fractured.
• Pathological fracture, which occurs in a bone that has already been weakened by a disease, such as osteoporosis, or by a tumour or cyst.
• Stress fracture, when a bone breaks due to repeated stresses and strains. It occurs mostly in the lower leg or foot bones of athletes.
• Hairline fracture, when the bone is only partially fractured. This can happen after a trip or fall and can be difficult to detect as the bone does not completely break.