A fracture can be a complete break, a crack, or a split part of the way through a bone.
Most fractures are due to a trauma (sudden, strong impact), although stress fractures result from repeated jarring. Osteoporosis (p.154) may lead to cracks in the vertebrae (compression fractures) or to femoral (thigh bone) fractures near the hip joint.
Symptoms of a fracture may include pain, which may be severe; swelling and bruising; deformity in the affected area; and, in some cases, bone protruding through the skin.
There is also often bleeding, which may sometimes be severe.
Traumatic vertebrae (spinal) fractures may also damage the spinal cord or spinal nerves, which may lead to paralysis of part of the body. Treatment usually involves immobilizing the affected part in a cast until the bone heals. If the bone ends are displaced, they will first be realigned, which may involve surgery.
A bone broken near a joint may sometimes be replaced with an artificial substitute, comprising either part of the bone or the entire joint. Compression fractures are usually treated primarily with pain relievers. Traumatic fractures require specialist treatmen