Fractures
And How To (kind of) Identify
Them 
Transverse +
Greenstick
Transverse
Fx of 5th
Metatarsal
Transverse
Break in the bone at a right angle, or perpendicular to the
long axis (shaft) of the bone
Compound (Open)
• Broken bones that penetrate
through the tissue and the skin
at the moment of injury which
requires surgery
Simple/Closed
• Broken bones remain in the
body
• Doesn’t mean that the
fracture itself is simple, just
that the bones are still
inside the body …
• Referring to all fractures not
compound/open to outside
of skin …
Oblique
• Usually used to describe
fractures in long bones
• The break is oblique to
the plane of the long
axis of the bone
Oblique
Displaced
• The break is oblique to the plane
of the long axis of the bone and
the two broken ends are no
longer adjacent or in line with
each other
Comminuted
• Severe fracture when bone
breaks into several smaller
pieces or fragments, usually
caused by severe trauma
such as MVA
• Requires surgery
Segmental
• Composed of at least
two fracture lines
that together isolate
a segment of bone
• Usually in the
diaphysis of a long
bone
Avulsed
A fracture to the bone where the tendon or ligament
pulls off a piece of the bone
Spiral
• Also called a torsion
fracture
• Results extreme twisting
force
• Can sometimes be
used as evidence in
cases of abuse (pulling
and twisting of the
arm)
Greenstick
• Break in the bone along one side
of the bone
• Does not go all the way through the
bone
• Mostly seen in infants and children
The Call
Callie
Torres To
Build You
New Legs
Fracture …
What do you see?
• First: Align the bone …
Steps to Healing a
Fracture
• Step 1: Formation of hematoma at the site of the break
•
Blood vessels break tear and hemorrhage resulting in clotted
blood
• Step 2: Formation of fibrocartilagenous callus
•
Capillaries grow into the hematoma (angiogenesis), phagocytes
clear dead cells, fibroblasts and osteoblasts start to reform bone
• Step 3: Formation of
bony callus
•
•
Fibrocartilagenous
callus is converted into
a bony callus of
spongy bone
Takes approximately 2
months for bone ends
to firmly join together
(similar to
endochondral
ossification
• Step 4: Remodeling
and addition of
compact bone
•
Steps to Healing
a Fracture
•
•
Bony callus is
remodelled by
osteoclasts and
osteoblasts (adding
material to the outside
while hollowing out
the medullary cavity)
Compact bone is
added
Remodelling can take
many months