Bone Fracture Treatment
Fractures are a very common injury and can affect anyone, at any age. A fracture is a broken bone, just like a crack or break. A bone can break completely or partially in different ways (transversely, longitudinally, or in several parts).
Types of Fractures
Although bones are rigid, they do bend, or give, somewhat when an outside force is applied. However, if the force is too great, bones will break, just as a plastic ruler breaks when it is bent too far.
The severity of a fracture usually depends on the force that caused the break. If the bone’s breaking point has been exceeded only slightly, the bone may crack rather than break all the way through. If the force is extreme, such as that caused by an automobile crash or gunshot, the bone may shatter.
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 fracture. This type of fracture is particularly serious because once the skin is broken, infection in both the wound and the bone can occur.
- Category: Bone Fracture Treatment
