Bone fracture and repair

Non-displaced fracture

Fractures that do not move out of alignment

Displaced fracture

Fracture where pieces of your bone move out of alignment (a gap is formed)

Complete fracture

Fracture where the parts of the bone that have been fractured are completely separate

Incomplete

A fracture where the bone cracks, but does not crack all the way through

Open fracture

A fracture in which there is an open wound or break in the skin

Closed fracture

A fracture that does not break the skin

Comminuted fracture

A bone that fractures in three or more pieces

Depression

A fracture with a piece of bone pushed inward (most common in the skull)

Compression

A bone is crushed (common in verebrae)

Transverse

A fracture that is broken perpendicular its length

Oblique

A fracture that is broken at an angle

Spiral

A fracture that happens when a bone is broken with a twisting motion

Greenstick

A fracture that happens when a bone bends enough to crack on one side without snapping into multiple pieces (only in young people/kids)

Stress/Hairline

A small fracture in one of your bones (happens when something puts a lot of repeated force on bone)

Avulsion

A piece of bone attached to a tendon or ligament gets pulled away from the main part of the bone

Epiphyseal

A break in the cartilage and bone near the end of a bone

Reduction

The process of aligning displaced broken ends (two types)(Closed and open)

Hematoma

First stage of repair in bone fractures. An increase of blood plasma and white cells moving into the area to flood the area with nutrients and protection

Fibrocartilaginous Callus

Second stage of repair. Capillaries grow in hematoma and bring fresh blood. Phagocytic cells clean up debris. Fibroblasts produce collagen fibers that span the break and connect the broken bone ends. Chondroblasts make temporary cartilage. Osteogenic cells give rise to osteoblasts

Bony Callus

Third stage of repair. Forms within a week. Osteoblasts and other bone building cells gradually convert it to a ball of spongy bone.

Bone remodeling

The last stage of repair. Bony callus formation continues for several months after break is healed and remodeled. Excess material is removed with osteoclasts. Eventually will resemble the original bone after a year.

Capillaries

Smallest form of blood vessels (this is what grows in the hematoma during the second stage of repair)

Phagocytic Cells

Cells that clean up debris in the second stage of repair

Fibroblasts

Cells that produce collagen fibers that connect the ends of a break during the second stage of repair

Chondroblasts

Cells that secrete cartilage that will later calcify during the second stage of repair

Osteogenic cells

Cells that give rise to osteoblasts during the second stage of repair