Fracture type, standards vary for different types

Fractures are usually most likely to occur in traffic accidents. Clinically, there are many types of fractures. So, what are the types of fractures?

1. Classification based on whether the fracture ends are connected to the outside world

(1) Closed fracture: The skin or mucosa outside the fracture is intact, and the fracture ends are not connected to the outside world.

(2) Open fracture: The skin or mucosa near the fracture is ruptured, and the fracture ends are directly or indirectly connected to the outside world.

2. Classification according to the degree of fracture

(1) Incomplete fracture: The continuity of the bone is completely lost, or only a part of the trabeculae is interrupted, also known as microfracture.

(2) Complete fracture: The integrity or continuity of the bone is completely destroyed, including complete rupture of the periosteum.

3. Classification based on the stability of fractures after manual reduction and external fixation

(1) Stable fractures: fractures that are not easily displaced after reduction and fixation, such as transverse fractures and sawtooth-like short oblique fractures.

(2) Unstable fracture: After reduction and fixation, the fracture ends are still easily displaced. This type of fracture includes spiral, long oblique, comminuted, multiple fractures in one bone, and femoral shaft fractures with thick surrounding muscles.