Fractures Skeletal 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 area  Shoulder and hip are most common places  Most often seen in car accidents and high falls

Spiral Fracture  Bones are twisted apart in a complete fracture or the break spirals its way up the bone in an incomplete fracture

Greenstick Fracture  Incomplete break where the bone splinters but does not break into two separate pieces

Healing of Fractures  Step 1: Bone Alignment  Reduction  Reduction – Medical procedure to realign the bones  Open – bone realignment done under surgery  Closed – bone realignment done without surgery

Healing of Fractures  Step 2: Hematoma  Forms around the broken ends of bones  Step 3: Fibrocartilage callus formation  Break will be bridged with Fibrocartilage  Step 4: Ossification  Cartilage is converted into bone  Step 5: Remodeling  Bone will keep a denser matrix of bone where break occurred (gives area extra strength)

Simple Fracture Comminuted Fracture Compound Fracture