Understanding Bone Fractures

A bone fracture is described as a medical condition in which the bone gets cracked, splintered or bisected due to physical trauma. It can also occur due to the weakening of bones due to osteoporosis, cancer or osteogenesis imperfecta. The risk of bone fractures depends on the age of the individual and the extent of physical force exerted on the bone. There are different types of bone fractures. The primary classification of bone fractures is done on the basis of the way the bone breaks. This consists of complete, incomplete, compound and simple fractures. In a complete fracture the bone breaks into two as against an incomplete fracture. In a compound fracture the bone breaks through the skin causing a wound while in a simple fracture there is no wound.

There are many types of the common simple fractures. Transverse and oblique based on the position of the break and comminuted fracture where the bones become fragmented. Hairline bone fractures due to stress and greenstick fractures due to bending are often observed in athletes and young children respectively. Athletes under constant training have the most common types of fractures. This includes femur, pelvic bone and cuboid bone fracture. Cuboid bone treatment mainly involves immobilization.

Diagnosis of bone fracture is by X-ray photograph of the injured location. X-rays of bone fractures also help in assessing the extent of damage and the treatment modalities to be followed. Impacted bone fracture pictures in children reveal a wedging together of the ends of the broken bones while after a fall in adults X ray of the vertebral column shows compression and a crack In adults a fall on the seat commonly results in tail bone fractures. If the pictures of bone fractures illustrate damage in the joint surface then surgery is preferred over the conservative treatment with splints and casts to restore the mobility of the joint. Surgery as a treatment option also depends on the location of the bone fracture. For instance a fracture of humerus bone can be of several types, proximal humerus, mid-shaft humerus and distal humerus depending on the point of occurrence. The proximal humerus bone fracture occurring near the shoulder is likely to require surgery since the numerous tendons associated with the shoulder joint need to be positioned for restoring the proper rotator movement while the other two may be set right with the help of rigid casts.