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The Different Types of Bone Fractures

Your bones are made to be hard and stable. They comprise the framework of the body, providing a foundation for every structure and system. Bones also make movement possible, and they are flexible to a very small extent.

However, when enough pressure is applied to a bone, it will break or fracture. Trauma from an acute injury, repeated stress over time, and diseases that make the bones weaker can all result in fractures. Incidentally, a “broken bone” and a “fracture” mean the same thing in the medical field.

Below, we review the different types of broken bones, including the shape and severity of the fracture.

Severity of Broken Bones

One thing most fractures have in common is the pain they cause. The severity of the fracture affects the level of pain you experience.

These are the main types of fractures in terms of how severe they are:

Simple or Closed Fracture – This is another term for a partial or complete fracture that does not break the skin.

Positioning of Broken Bones

The following fracture types describe the position of the broken bone in the body:

Shapes of Bone Fractures

The fracture itself – as in the line across the bone that breaks it partially or into two or more pieces – also has terminology. Because the bones in the arms and legs are much longer than other bones in the body, these fractures can be described in several ways:

If you have a fracture, no matter what kind, an orthopedic specialist can provide a timely diagnosis and treatment for proper care right away.

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