Introduction
There are many types of bone fractures
that exist in human injuries. Bone breaks can be simplified into four main
categories, and these four categories can be categorized even further. The four
main categorical breaks that this article will focus on are displaced,
non-displaced, closed, and open. These breaks can range in severity and can
require casting or surgery for fixation, while others do not require any attention
due to their low severity (Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle, 2013).
Fractures Explained
A displaced break (or fracture) occurs
when the bone cracks into two or more pieces, so that the bone ends up not
being lined up correctly. A non-displaced break (or fracture) occurs when the
bone breaks either all the way through or partially, but it does not move out
of its original position. These two
fractures are less severe than the other two categories, but medical attention
and treatment is still a necessity when one of these two breaks occur
(Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle, 2013). A closed fracture, also known as simple
fracture, occurs when a bone breaks but stays inside the body cavity, not
piercing the skin. An open fracture, also known as a compound fracture, is the
opposite of a closed fracture, resulting in a break that the specific bone is
piercing or poking out of the skin and is visible to the eye. These breaks are
the most severe of the four categories, and usually require surgery or casting.
They also take a significant amount of time to heal (Orthopedic Specialists of
Seattle, 2013). A fifth type of fracture occurs is a
nonunion fracture. This is a type of break that can occur with any of the four
categorical breaks, and is classified as nonunion when the break refuses to
heal itself without further intervention. Vitamin deficiencies, smoking, and
infection may lead to nonunion fractures, and intervention becomes necessary
when there is no progress in the healing process for 3 months (Wheeless, 2013).
Conclusion
As we have seen, there are a variety of fractures that exist from human actions. Each type of injury contrasts in severity, and some can even be life-threatning, depending on if the break causes other bodily harm. With man's increased understanding of the skeletal system, we have classified most of the breaks into concrete categories for medical usage, diagnostics, and research methods.
