We’ve all had injuries from accidents or falls that could have resulted in a broken bone. But why do bones break sometimes and not break at other times?
Fractures, or broken bones, happen when a bone sustains too much force for it to withstand. Based on the amount and direction of the force the bone suffers, various patterns of fractures can result. This means there are many kinds of bone breaks.
Here’s what to know about different fractures.
What Are the Different Kinds of Fracture Patterns?
Many different terms can refer to fractures. A few kinds of fractures include:
- Closed — Some refer to this as a simple fracture because the break occurs only in the bone and doesn’t come through the skin. It’s a very common kind of fracture. Though they can vary in severity, most closed fractures heal with proper immobilization and care over the course of a few months.
- Comminuted — A more severe kind of fracture because the bone breaks in more than two places. It’s a complicated type of fracture that may take longer to heal and may require surgery for proper healing.
- Displaced — A result of both ends of the broken bone falling out of alignment to a degree that often requires surgical intervention. Depending on the severity of the break, this fracture may require several months of healing to recover properly.
- Greenstick — Common in children because the break occurs due to a bend of the bone. It results in only one side of the bone breaking. This fracture gets its name from nature. Consider the way a young, green tree branch might break when bent compared with how a dried branch will snap and break completely. Because it’s more common in youth, greenstick fracture recovery time can take a few months with proper immobilization and may not require surgery.
- Nondisplaced — When a bone breaks but remains in place and in alignment. Some call this a hairline fracture because on an x-ray, it looks like a crack or hairline between two pieces of bone that haven’t moved from their normal positions. These kinds of breaks can heal with immobilization, usually with a cast.
- Open — Some call this a compound fracture. This fracture pattern occurs when the broken bone breaks through the skin and creates an external wound as well. Treatment for this serious fracture should involve the utmost care. It typically requires surgery to realign the bones properly and ensure stability as well as treat the wound on the skin to prevent infection.
- Spiral — This kind of break occurs when one end of the bone remains in place as the other end sustains a twisting force. This kind of twisting torsion results in a spiral break pattern.
What Are Complex and Simple Fractures?
Although there are so many ways to injure or break a bone, they only fall into two major categories: simple or complex.
A simple fracture is when the bone suffers one break. These kinds of fractures usually result from lower-energy injuries, such as a fall from standing.
A complex fracture is when the bone breaks into more than two parts or when other parts of the body get injured as well. Other affected body parts can include joints, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and skin. Complex fractures usually result from higher-energy injuries, such as a motor vehicle collision. These kinds of injuries may require additional surgery or treatment to fully heal the wounds. They may also get infected.
The number of different types of fractures can cause confusion. But each fracture has its own unique characteristics and options for healing methods.
People often confuse open fractures with comminuted and complex fractures. Because open fractures involve a bone protruding from the skin and creating another wound, they’re complex fractures. However, unless multiple breaks occur along the same bone, it’s not a comminuted fracture.
What Are Causes of Fractures?
All kinds of injuries and accidents can lead to bone fractures. There are only a few types of classifications for what occurs when a bone fractures. They include:
- Acute — Results from a sudden, direct impact to the bone as in a car crash, fall, or bodily collision.
- Growth plate — Unique to children who are still growing. The growth plates are cartilage near the ends of the body’s long bones that continue to grow until adulthood. Cartilage is weaker than bone and may break more easily than the neighboring bone. A break in a growth plate can stunt the growth of the bone and should get proper treatment and monitoring to ensure recovery and full growth potential.
- Stress — Typically occurs in the weight-bearing bones of the body like the femur, tibia, fibula, and the metatarsals of the feet. It’s common among athletes whose sports require repeated impact on the legs, most often from running.
What Should I Do if I Break a Bone?
If you experience an injury that results in a suspected broken bone, go to the emergency room and contact your primary care provider.
In the emergency room, you’ll get evaluated and treated by emergency room staff with a physical examination and imaging. These will most likely include x-rays and may include casts or splints. In many cases, your injury may not require surgery and can heal with immobilization and rest.
More serious cases of fracture may require surgery or multiple surgeries. This is because some fractures leave the bone in a position or alignment that’ll need correction before the bone can heal properly. In some cases, this kind of operation might require orthopaedic implants (such as plates and screws) to hold the bone pieces in place as they heal.
If you suspect you’ve broken a bone, don’t wait to seek medical attention.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .