2. FRACTURE FRACTURE IS THE MEDICAL TERM FOR A BROKEN BONE; FRACTURES ARE VERY COMMON;THE AVERAGE PERSON HAS TWO DURING A LIFETIME… THEY OCCUR WHEN THE PHYSICAL FORCE EXERTED ON THE BONE IS STRONGER THAN THE BONE ITSELF.
5. OPEN AND CLOSED FRACTURE CLOSED OR SIMPLE FRACTURE OPEN FRACTURE A closed fracture is a break or crack in the bone that does not come through the skin but sometimes causes injury to tissues in the area. A closed fracture can vary in severity, depending on what bone is affected and how large the crack or break is. Because the skin is not opened in a closed fracture, the risk of infection or complications from exposure to the air is lower. If the skin over the break is disrupted, then an open fracture exists. The skin can be cut, torn, or abraded (scraped), but if the skin's integrity is damaged, the potential for an infection to get into the bone exists. Since the fracture site in the bone communicates with the outside world, these injuries need to be cleaned out aggressively and many times require anesthesia in the operating room to do the job effectively.
6. COMMINUTED FRACTURE Comminuted fracture: A fracture in which bone is broken, splintered or crushed into a number of pieces.