Fracture is a broken bone. There are many kinds of fractures. Common types include closed, open, multiple, comminuted, greenstick, and spiral fractures. In a closed, or simple, fracture, a bone breaks, but the skin over it does not. In an open, or compound, fracture, both the bone and skin break, and there is danger of infection. Multiple fracture means there is more than one break in a bone. A comminuted fracture occurs when a bone breaks into three or more major fragments or as many as hundreds of tiny pieces. In a greenstick fracture, the break cuts only part way through the bone. A spiral fracture results when a bone is broken by a twisting force.
People of all ages break bones. However, the bones of old people are more fragile than the bones of young people. The bones of older people break more easily and need more time to heal.
A physician can detect a fracture in several ways. Usually, there is pain, soreness, or tenderness in a fracture area. Swelling and discoloration also occur. Sometimes, there is movement of the bone under the skin and obvious deformity. Crepitus often signals a broken bone. Crepitus is a harsh grating sound caused when the broken ends of the bone rub together. In some cases, only an X ray will reveal a fracture. Fractures should be treated only by physicians. The injured part should be kept motionless until a physician arrives.
