Fracture

A fracture occurs when excessive force overwhelms a bone’s strength, causing it to crack or break. Bones are living tissues rich in collagen and calcium, designed to withstand stress, but accidents, diseases, or repetitive strain can lead to failure, especially in athletes.

Types

• Closed (Simple) Fracture: The bone breaks without piercing the skin, as noted in Healthline.
• Open (Compound) Fracture: The bone pierces the skin, increasing infection risk, as detailed in Cleveland Clinic.
• Hairline (Incomplete) Fracture: A thin, partial break, often seen in stress-related injuries.
• Transverse Fracture: A straight-line break across the bone.
• Oblique Fracture: An angled break, common in twisting injuries.
• Comminuted Fracture: The bone shatters into multiple pieces, requiring complex treatment.
• Impacted Fracture: Broken ends are forced together, often seen in falls.
• Greenstick Fracture: An incomplete break where the bone bends, typical in children, as per Medical News Today.
• Stress Fracture: Small cracks from repetitive stress, prevalent in athletes, according to OrthoInfo – AAOS.

Causes

• Direct Trauma: Falls, car accidents, or sports injuries, as noted in Merriam-Webster and Johns Hopkins Medicine.
• Overuse or Repetitive Stress: Leading to stress fractures, common in athletes and military recruits, detailed in Medical Dictionary.
• Medical Conditions: Osteoporosis, a major cause in older adults, increases fracture risk, with statistics showing nearly 50% of women over 65 will suffer a major fracture, as per Loyola Medicine.

Children and older adults are particularly susceptible, with pediatric fractures often being greenstick and geriatric fractures linked to osteoporosis, as seen in betterhealth.vic.gov.au.

Symptoms

• Pain at the fracture site, often intense and worsening with movement.
• Swelling, bruising, and deformity, as described in Healthline.
• Difficulty moving the affected area, with some cases showing a bone protruding through the skin in open fractures, noted in Cleveland Clinic.

Stress fractures might not show obvious symptoms, requiring imaging for diagnosis, as per MedlinePlus.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis primarily involves X-rays, with Johns Hopkins Medicine stating it’s the most common method. For complex cases, CT or MRI scans are used, providing detailed images of bone and soft tissue, as detailed in UPMC. The process includes a physical exam and medical history, ensuring accurate identification, as per WebMD.

Treatment

• Casting or Splinting: Immobilizing the bone, common for stable fractures, as per betterhealth.vic.gov.au.
• Surgery: For displaced fractures, using pins, plates, or screws, detailed in MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.
• Traction: Aligning bones with pulling forces, noted in Stanford Health Care.
• Medications: Pain management and anti-inflammatories, as per Medical News Today.
• Physical Therapy: Post-treatment to regain mobility, highlighted in verywellhealth.com.

The choice depends on fracture type and location, with healing times ranging from weeks to months, influenced by age and health, as per Houston Methodist.