Fractures
Symptoms & Diagnosis
Treatment
What is a fracture?
A fracture is a partial or complete break in the bone. When a fracture occurs, it is classified as either open or closed:
- Open fracture (also called compound fracture)—the bone exits and is visible through the skin, or a deep wound that exposes the bone through the skin.
- Closed fracture (also called simple fracture)—the bone is broken, but the skin is intact.
Fractures have a variety of names. Below is a listing of the common types that may occur in children:
- Greenstick—incomplete fracture. The broken bone is not completely separated.
- Transverse—the break is in a straight line across the bone.
- Spiral—the break spirals around the bone; common in a twisting injury.
- Oblique—diagonal break across the bone.
- Compression —the bone is crushed, causing the broken bone to be wider or flatter in appearance.
- Comminuted—the break is in three or more pieces.
What causes a fracture?
Fractures occur when there is more force applied to the bone than the bone can absorb. Bones are weakest when they are twisted.
Breaks in bones can occur from falls, trauma or as a result of a direct blow or kick to the body.
A child's bone differs from adult bone in a variety of ways:
- A child's bone heals much faster than an adult's bone. The younger the child, the faster the healing occurs.
- Bones are softer in children and tend to buckle or bend rather than completely break.
- Children have open growth plates, also called epiphysis, located at the end of the long bones. This is an area where the bone grows. Injury to the growth plate can lead to limb length discrepancies or angular deformities.