Fracture (bone)

A fractured bone in a living person is treated by immobilization with a plaster or fiberglass cast, and in some cases surgical nails, screws, plates and wires to supplement a cast. By allowing only limited movement, fixation helps preserve anatomical alignment while enabling callus formation, towards the target of achieving union. Operative methods of treating fractures have their own risks and benefits and should be carefully considered before surgery. In medicine, fractures are classified as closed or open (compound) and simple or comminuted. Closed fractures are fractures where the skin is intact and there is no bone poking out while open (compound) fractures involve wounds that expose bone. Simple fractures are fractures that occur along one line, splitting the bone into two pieces while comminuted fractures involve the bone splitting into multiple pieces. A simple, closed fracture is much easier to treat and has a much better prognosis than a open, comminuted fracture. See also: fibrocartilage callus Bone healing category:medicine