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Fracture Types
other ways fractures are classified
Term | Definition |
---|---|
comminuted | bone fragments into 3 or more pieces (particularly common in the aged whose bones are more brittle) |
spiral | ragged break occurs when excessive twisting forces are applied to a bone (common sports fracture) |
depressed | broken bone portion is pressed inward (typical of skull fracture) |
compression | bone is crushed (common in porous bones subjected to extreme trauma, as in a fall) |
epiphyseal | epiphysis separates from the diaphysis along the epiphyseal plate (tends to occur where cartilage cells are dying & calcification of the matrix is occurring) |
greenstick | bone breaks incompletely; only one side of the shaft breaks, the other side bends (common in children whose bones are more flexible) |