Types of Fractures
Among the most common injuries from a crash are broken bones, or fractures. While a simple fracture usually heals completely with a simple cast, some types of fractures may require medical intervention to set the bones correctly before they knit together. Depending on location, even a simple fracture may cause considerable pain.
Medical Terms for Broken Bones
The medical community has distinct definitions for fractures depending on who and where the bone has broken. They include:
- Greenstick fracture: usually found in children, the bone bends before breaking
- Oblique fracture: a break at some angle to the bone’s axis
- Transverse fracture: a break at a right angle to the bone’s axis
- Buckle fracture: when the bone is fractured and the broken ends are driven into one another
- Comminuted fracture: a shattered bone, or one that is broken into several pieces
The severity of a fracture can depend not only on its type, but also on the amount of damage done to the surrounding tissue and to the bone’s interior.
