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In medicine, a fracture is the breaking of a bone. It is simple when the bone only is divided; compound when there is also a wound of the soft parts leading down to the fracture.
A fracture is termed transverse, longitudinal, or oblique according to its direction in regard to the axis of the bone.
It is called complicated if accompanied with dislocation, severe contusions, wounded bloodvessels, or any disease which prevents the union of the bones and causes them to be very easily broken.
A comminuted fracture is one in which the bone is broken into several small pieces at the point of rupture.
An incomplete fracture is one in which only a portion of the fibres is broken.
A stellate fracture is a series of fractures radiating from a centre.
When a fracture takes place there is a pouring out of fluid - lymph - and cells from the blood contained in the vessels of the lining membrane of the bone as well as from the vessels of the soft parts which have also suffered injury. This material surrounds the broken ends of the bone, becomes firm and consolidated, and in about three weeks is hard enough to keep the broken ends in position. A formation of bone then takes place round the seat of fracture. This is called 'provisional callus', because, when the process of repair is completed and true bone has formed to unite the break, it is re-absorbed and gradually disappears. Meanwhile a process of repair goes on between the broken ends, uniting them by the formation of true bone or 'definitive callus'. The more quickly and accurately after the break the broken ends are brought together, the more rapid will be the reunion. The treatment of a simple fractured bone is to bring the portions into their natural position and to keep them permanently thus, formerly by splints of some kind, pasteboard splints, for instance, dipped in warm water, with wooden ones exterior to them; or, as more recently, a mass of plaster of Paris may be used for the same purpose.
 Research Fracture
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Abbreviations
Medicine
