Types Of Bone Fractures

A displaced fracture is where a bone has broken into two pieces.

Fred fractured the talus bone in his ankle in a Fairfax, Virginia car accident. The EMT who arrived at the scene reported Fred’s talus bone was “sticking out” from his ankle.

An open fracture is where the fractured bone protrudes (sticks out) from the skin. This is also referred to as a “compound fracture.” An open fracture is a medical emergency because of the potential for a bone infection called “osteomyelitis.” To learn more click “The Three Fracture Emergencies.”

A comminuted fracture is a severe broken bone injury where a bone is broken and shatters into many fragments (pieces). A severely comminuted fracture often results in osteoarthritis in later years.

An interarticular and intraarticular fracture is where the bone fracture extends into the joint surface where two bones meet (called the articular surface). These types of bone fractures often result in osteoarthritis years later.

Alice suffered an avulsion fracture in an Arlington, Virginia car crash on I-95 North. An avulsion fracture occurs when high energy forces, such as from motor vehicle accidents, tear a tendon or ligament which then pulls off a piece of bone with it.

A compression fracture, also known as a wedge fracture, occurs where two bones are forced against each other. As a result, the bones are wedged and lose height.

Compression fractures of the vertebrae in the spine are seen often following high impact motor vehicle crashes. Frequently the force of the impact causes the vertebrae to burst. These types of compression fractures are termed “burst spinal or burst vertebral compression fractures.” For more information on wedge spinal fractures, click “Spinal Fractures.”

Children’s bones grow at the ends of each bone in an area called the “growth plate.” A broken bone injury through the growth plate is serious. Growth plate fractures can result in a shorter or twisted bone. To learn more, click “Bone Fracture in Children.”

Virginia personal injury lawyer Gerald Schwartz is a bone fracture lawyer representing the victims of broken bone injuries caused by car, truck and motorcycle accidents in Fairfax and Arlington, as well as across Virginia. Gerald Schwartz is a personal injury lawyer with a statewide reputation for his knowledge of bone fracture injury cases.

For a free consultation call Virginia Bone Fracture Attorney Gerald Schwartz at 1-800-423-0055.