Type of fractures

Compound - when the skin is broken by the bone

Stable - when the seconds of bone remain in alignment at the fracture

 

Terms used to describe in what way a bone breaks

• Transverse - A fracture that crosses the bone at a straight line.
• Oblique - A fracture that crosses the bone at an angled line.
• Spiral - A fracture that spirals around the bone.
• Segmental - When there are multiple fracture lines resulting in the bone breaking into segments.
• Comminuted - When the bone breaks into multiple fragments.
• Compression fractures - Specifically refer to fractures affecting the vertebrae in the spine.
• Greenstick - Typically occur in children rather than adults and involve a partial fracture where one side of the bone bends without completely breaking.
• Buckle (torus) - Another fracture more common in children, where the bone bends into a buckled shape under compression.
• Salter-Harris - Refers only to fractures occurring through a child's growth plate, classified using the Salter-Harris system.