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People also ask
What is the difference between a fracture and a broken bone?
Can a bone be completely fractured or partially fractured?
What is a bone fracture?
May 14, 2023 · There is no difference between a bone fracture vs a break; they mean the same thing. When a bone has a hairline crack or is completely shattered it becomes weak. Your healthcare provider may call the injury either a broken bone or a fracture.
- Overview
- What causes a fracture?
- What are the signs that you have a fracture?
- How is a fracture diagnosed?
- How will your doctor treat your fracture?
- How long will it take your fracture to heal?
- What can you do to prevent fractures?
Bone fractures and breaks are interchangeable terms. They both refer to a bone that has been shattered, typically by excessive force. Doctors are more likely to use the term fracture.
Bone injuries are common. In the United States, more than 1 million people a year fracture a bone.
A fracture occurs when a bone is struck by something stronger than the bone itself. This causes it to break. Car accidents, sports injuries, and falls are common causes of fractures.
Repeated wear on a bone, such as from running, can also cause small fractures. These are called stress fractures or hairline fractures.
Sometimes fractures result from an infection or cancer that weakens the bone. Weakened bones in older people, called osteoporosis, are also a frequent cause of fractures.
Learn more: What causes osteoporosis? »
Fractures can range from minor to severe depending on the force of the impact and whether there is other damage to the body. Some other types of damage that may occur include:
The main sign of a fracture is pain. Most fractures will hurt, especially if you try to move or put weight on the injured bone.
Other symptoms at the site of the injury include:
•swelling
•numbness
•bleeding
•bruising or change in color
Your doctor will examine you and check the area of the injury for mobility, and for possible damage to blood vessels or joints. Most fractures are diagnosed using an X-ray of the affected bone.
Sometimes other tests besides X-rays may be needed to determine the extent of the fracture and associated damage.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or a bone scan can show more details if the fracture is small. An MRI can also show the soft tissue area around the bone, and may indicate injuries to surrounding muscles or tendons.
A computed tomography scan (CT or CAT scan) can be used to provide a three-dimensional image in horizontal or vertical slices of the affected area. This will show more of the detail of the fracture. Your doctor may also inject a dye into your arteries and then do a scan. The dye can make it easier for your doctor to identify damage to blood vessels. Finally, if nerve damage is suspected, nerve conduction studies can be used to check for any damaged nerves.
The treatment for a fracture depends on the type of injury, the location of the injury, and its severity.
Bones heal themselves by producing new bone tissue to repair the fracture. New bone tissue forms at the edges of the break to “knit” the broken pieces together. The new bone is soft at first, and so it needs to be protected.
Usually a fracture is immobilized to protect the new, soft bone tissue. Your doctor can immobilize the bone using options that include:
•cast
•splint
•sling
On average, fractures heal in six to eight weeks. Children usually heal faster than adults.
The healing time depends on the location and severity of the break. Your age and general health will also affect your recovery time. Follow your doctor’s advice for caring for the fracture to improve the healing process.
The pain usually stops before the fracture has fully healed, but it’s important to keep protecting the injured area until it has healed completely. You may have a physical therapy program and exercises designed to build up muscle strength and joint flexibility in the injured area.
Most fractures heal without complications. A fracture doesn’t necessarily increase or reduce your chances for a break in the same area in the future.
Keeping your bones healthy is important at every age. This means getting enough calcium from your diet and doing weight-bearing exercises to keep your bones strong. Weak bones break more easily.
After age 40, everyone begins to lose bone mass. Your genetic makeup determines your peak bone mass, but diet and exercise make a big difference in keeping your bones healthy as you age.
Read more: 5 Fun water exercise that seniors can do together »
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends that both men and women over the age of 40 have:
•at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium every day
•at least 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D every day
Jan 8, 2023 · A fracture and a broken bone are the same injury. To your physician, these words can be used interchangeably. While there are many types of fractures, or broken bones, there are other ways to describe fractures that give more specific meaning to the problem. This article explains why bones break and how they are treated.
Dec 11, 2023 · In medical terms, a “bone fracture” is the same as a “broken bone”—although people may use the term “fracture” for when a bone is not broken all the way through. This can occur as a partial or complete fracture across the entire bone. There are many different types of fractures and as many different treatments methods for each.
May 10, 2024 · There is zero difference between the terms ‘broken bone’ and ‘fractured bone.’ I suspect the intent in differentiating these terms is actually an attempt to convey the difference between a non-displaced and a displaced fracture.
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Bone fractures and broken bones are the same injury and mean the same thing. You might see them used interchangeably. A fracture is the medical term for a broken bone, so your healthcare provider will probably refer to your broken bone as a certain type of fracture after they diagnose it.
Diseases & Conditions. Fractures (Broken Bones) A fracture is a broken bone, the same as a crack or a break. A bone may be completely fractured or partially fractured in any number of ways (crosswise, lengthwise, in multiple pieces). Types of Fractures. Although bones are rigid, they do bend, or give, somewhat when an outside force is applied.
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