Fractures

What are the three causes of fractures?

Stress (repetitive, overused movement)

Pathologies

Trauma

What are the four main types of fractures?

Open

Closed

Displaced

Non-displaced

What are four types of incomplete fractures?

Fissures

Greenstick

Bowing

Torus/buckle

What type of fracture is a fissure?

Incomplete break without bending

What type of fracture is a 'greenstick'?

Incomplete fracture with bending

What type of fracture is a bowing?

Lack of visible break with bending

What type of fracture is a torus/buckle?

Bending with outward bulging of the cortex

What are the five types of complete fractures?

Transverse

Oblique

Spiral

Communited

Avulsion

What is a transverse fracture?

Straight break

What is an oblique fracture?

Angled break

What is a spiral fracture?

Corckscrew shaped break

What is a 'comminuted' fracture?

Fracture of multiple bony fragments

What is an Avulsion fracture?

Fractures fragment migrates from body of bone

What does the Salter-Harris classification pertain to?

Classification of physeal (growth plate) fractures.

What is a type 1 growth plate fracture?

Complete physeal fracture

What is a type 2 growth plate fracture?

Physeal fracture extending to the metaphysis

What is a type 3 growth plate fracture?

Physeal fracture extending to the epiphysis

What is a type 4 growth plate fracture?

Physeal fracture extending to the epiphysis and metaphysis

What is a type 5 growth plate fracture?

Compression fracture at the growth plate

Describe the difference between primary and secondary healing in fractures.

Primary healing involves absolute stability with no movement at the fracture site, whereas secondary healing allows some movement and forms a bony callus.

What are the four stages of indirect bone healing?

1. Haematoma

2. Soft callus

3. Bony callus

4. Bone remodeling.

What is the first step of bone healing?

Rupture of blood vessels cause haemotoma in fracture gap

Blood clot creates fibrin scaffold, activating inflammatory cells, fibroblasts and osteogenic cells

What is the second step of bone healing?

Uncalcified tissues bridge the fracture ends

What is the third step of bone healing?

Deposition of fibrous tissue by osteoblasts

What is the fourth step of bone healing?

Cartilage undergoes ossification, parts of the callus that are not stressed are reabsorbed to reshape the callus

What type of fracture often occurs during childhood?

Incomplete fractures like greenstick, bowing, and torus fractures.