FracturesSkeletal System

Simple Fracture

Complete break between bones

Compound Fracture

Complete break between bones with the end of a bone tearing through tissue

Comminuted Fracture

Complete break where the bone is in pieces

Impact Fracture

Occurs when two bones are forced to collide at the joint areaShoulder and hip are

most common places

Most often seen in car accidents and high falls

Spiral FractureBones are twisted apart in a complete

fracture or the break spirals its way up the bone in an incomplete fracture

Greenstick FractureIncomplete break where the bone

splinters but does not break into two separate pieces

Healing of Fractures

Step 1: Bone AlignmentReduction – Medical procedure to

realign the bones

Open – bone realignment done under surgery

Closed – bone realignment done without surgery

Healing of FracturesStep 2: Hematoma

Forms around the broken ends of bonesStep 3: Fibrocartilage callus formation

Break will be bridged with FibrocartilageStep 4: Ossification

Cartilage is converted into boneStep 5: Remodeling

Bone will keep a denser matrix of bone where break occurred (gives area extra strength)

Simple FractureComminuted

FractureCompound Fracture