Fracture

Fracture, break of a a bone. Diagnosis is made by X ray, which shows the breakline in a bone, and the identification of swelling and localized tenderness to pressure or percussion (tapping). Depending on the size and type of the fracture, strapping, an elastic bandage, a plaster cast, or metal fixation may be necessary for healing. In simple fractures the bone is completely broken but there is no wound through the skin. In compound fractures one end of the broken bone has penetrated and torn the skin. (This type is particularly dangerous, as it allows microorganisms to enter the wound.) In comminuted fractures the bone has broken into several smaller pieces. In greenstick fractures, common in the pliable bones of the young, the break only runs part of the way across the bone. The stress fracture is a gradually developing fault in bone caused by repetitions of a force. This common condition has been found in practically every bone in the body and often occurs in people who take unaccustomed prolonged exercise.

See also: Bone.