click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
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) |