Fractures In Children

Bones are children are quite different from adult bones anatomically as well as physiologically. They have a great healing power and often unite uneventfully with conservative and non operative methods. It is rare to find a fracture not uniting in case of paediatric fractures and whenever it occurs, there would be a strong reason for it like infection or some other pathology.

Fractures in children demand a special consideration. Read more

Fractures In Special Situations

Most of the fractures are caused by significant trauma. However these may be situations where the fractures are caused by insignificant trauma. There may be several reasons to this.

Fractures resulting from trivial trauma because bone is weak, are called insufficient fractures.

Osteoporosisis an age related loss of bone mineral and microarchitectural change in bone. As bone weakness a trivial trauma can result in fractures. A simple fall in old age may result in fractures of hip region whereas same injury in young persons will just result in soft tissue injury.
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Different types of Fractures-A simple Classification of Fractures of Long Bones

For a physician classification of fractures is of utmost importance. Not only it suggests the severity and mechanics of injury that occurred, but also helps to formulate most suitable treatment.There are many types of classifications which are available to physicians. These classifications vary with type of bone involved and the region of bone involved.

For this discussion we would stick to the basic and general classification of the fractures of long bones. We have already discussed closed and open fractures. That is one type of classification according to absence or presence of wounds that communicate with fracture.
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Open Versus Closed Fractures?

Depending upon cause and pattern in which the bone breaks, fractures have been classified into different categories. Not only this helps physicians to communicate better but also to plan the treatment and gauge the prognosis. Today we would discuss open and closed fractures.

A fracture could be either closed or open. These were previously called simple or compound fractures.

A simple fracture by definition, is the one where the fracture hematoma does not communicate with the surroundings. What does that mean?

It means that the blood that is collected after the fracture is collected in the closed space formed by tissues around the bone and is not communicating with external environment. But if the same fracture is accompanied by a external wound which is continuous with the fracture hematoma (means the fracture hematoma is no more closed, it can communicate to exterior now because the tissues surrounding have also been injured and allow a passage to be formed where blood can trickle to outside. Read more