As we All Know, that a fracture is a break in the continuity of the bone, but Do You Know, that it has many types, based on various factors, A fracture can be closed or open, oblique or transverse, Simple or Compound, Hairline or comminuted etc depending upon the characteristic it shows.

Let’s not confuse You further and dive into some details about them, just the simple ones, to make our patients more aware about the medical terms.

1. According to the communication of the fracture with the outer environment, the Fracture can be of two types:

a. Open Fracture – The Open Fracture, is the one when there is a wound on the fracture site, (skin has been pierced at the time of fracture), the bone may or may not be visible from the wound, depending upon the level of injury.

b. Closed Fracture – The Closed Fracture, is the one, in which there is no communication of the fracture with the outer world, or in other words, the skin is intact on the fracture site.

2. According to the Pattern of the breakage of Bone, The Fractures can be of various types:

a. Transverse Fracture – In this type of Fracture, the bone has been broken in a horizontal fracture line.

b. Oblique Fracture – As the name suggests, the fracture line runs obliquely in the bone in this type.

c. Comminuted Fracture – In this type of fracture, The bone is broken into pieces, these fractures need proper skill and time in healing.

d. Hairline Fracture – The bone breakage is stable, the line of breakage is barely visible, these types of fractures heal comparatively faster than the others.

e. Greenstick Fractures – These type of fractures are more common in children, as their bones are more flexible, they bent instead of breaking thus there is a partial fracture in which the break is only on one side.

f. Avulsion Fractures – These type of fracture occur during the strong muscle activity such as in sports, in this type, the forceful action of the muscle takes out a piece of bone with it, like a chip, so also known as the chip-off fractures.

3. According to the Severity of the Fracture, there can be two types of fracture:

a. Simple Fracture – A simple fracture is not displaced, not open, easy to treat, without any dislocations and the broken ends of the bone are in line with each other.

b. Compound Fracture – These are open fractures, often difficult to treat, likely to displace and comminuted as well.

The Common symptoms of fracture are :

1. Swelling

2. Pain

3. Redness

4. Bruising

5. Inability to use the limb or the fracture site

Treatment Guidelines:

1. Don’t try to move the limb, just keep it stable and rush to the clinic

2.  Plasters are the first choice of the fracture treatment

3. Surgical correction is done, if the fracture is displaced or comminuted.

4.  After the removal of plaster, physiotherapy is advised for better functional activities.

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