Fractures

Biology 120Chapter 4Allyson Lofgren

FracturesWhat are fractures?

•Fractures are breaks in bone or cartilage•Most fractures are caused by trauma•Bone diseases like cancer and osteoporosis make anindividual more vulnerable to fractures since they weakenthe bone

FracturesThree examples of fractures

•Stress Fractures•Spiral Fractures•Comminuted Fractures

Stress Fractures

What are stress fractures?•Stress fractures are small cracks in bones caused byoveruse•They happen when muscles become incapable ofabsorbing the stress of repetitive pounding on thebody. The bones absorb the shock which causesthem to crack•Generally occur in the tibia and weight bearingbones of the feet

Contributing Factors inStress Fractures

• Increasing intensity and volume of training too quickly• Little or no variation or periodization of training (i.e.

runners who only run to train)• Participating in high impact sports like as track, tennis

and gymnastics• Using worn out equipment and/or practicing on hard

surfaces• Excessive dieting and/or too low calcium and vitamin

D intake• Osteoporosis or osteopenia

Symptoms and Treatmentof Stress Fractures

Symptoms• Pain• Inflammation that worsens while active and decreases with rest

Treatments• Rest• Walking boot, brace and/or crutches are used to reduce stress on the

fracture• Acetaminophen

Spiral Fractures

What are spiral fractures?•Spiral fractures, which are also called torsionfractures, resemble a corkscrew in x-rays.•They happen as a result of a twisting injury.•Generally occur in the tibia, fibula, radiusand ulna.

Contributing Factors inSpiral Fractures

• Participating in fast paced athletic activitiessuch as skiing. Quick,transverse movementscan cause these injuries

• Child abuse consisting of grabbing andtwisting is another potential cause of spiralfractures

• Osteoporosis or osteopenia• Bone Cancers

Symptoms and Treatmentof Spiral Fractures

Symptoms• Pain• Unable to bear weight on affected area

Treatment• Due to the shape of the fracture, healing time can be long.• Surgery to plate and screw the bone internally• Surgery to externally pin the bone to hold it in place• Casts to immobilize the bone

Comminuted Fractures

What are comminutedfractures?•Comminuted fractures are fractures that consist ofat least 3 bone shards•They happen when the body is subjected toserious trauma or intense pressure like a major fall,traffic accident or bullet wound.•Usually surgery is required to treat a comminutedfracture

Symptoms and ContributingFactors in Comminuted

Fractures

Symptoms• Intense pain• Intense swelling• Affected area is hot to the touch• Unable to bear weight on affected area• Often a compound fracture. Bone breaks skin

Contributing Factors• Bone cancers• Osteoporosis and osteopenia• Low calcium and vitamin D intake

Treatment and PotentialComplications of Comminuted

FracturesTreatments

• Most communited fractures require surgery• Surgically installed plates and screws• External pins and splinting• Stitches and/or surgical staples

• Acetaminophen• Antibiotics if surgery and/or skin is broken• Rest

Potential Complications• Avascular necrosis: bone tissue dies because blood cannot deliver

oxygen• Atrophic non-union: callus does not form because blood cannot deliver

oxygen

Works CitedBook

• Fremgen, Bonnie F. and Frucht, Suzanne S. “Musculoskeletal System” Medical Terminology: a Living Language.4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009. 96-97. Print

Website S.E. Smith, “What Is a Comminuted Fracture?”, 01/06/11, www.wisegeek.com, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-

is-a-comminuted-fracture.htm Nakate, Shashank, “Spiral Fracture:, 1/21/10, www.buzzle.com, http://www.buzzle.com/articles/spiral-

fracture.html• Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Staff, “Stress Fractures”, 10/07, www.aaos.org, http://

orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00112• Mayo Clinic Staff, “Stress Fractures”, www.mayoclinic.com, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-

fractures/DS00556