b'FracturesChapterA fracture is a break or crack in a bone.This is normally the result of trauma injury such as a road or motorcycle accident or sudden twisting and turning movement in sport (football and skiing). Abnormal muscle contraction such as trying to stop a heavy weight from falling can sometimes cause a fracture. Elderly people often sustain fractures because bones become weakened with age (osteoporosis). Disease like tumours and cysts can cause bone to become weakened and brittle.General ClassificationOpen fracture Closed fracture Complicated fractureThere is an open woundThe surface of the skinUnderlying vital structures from the surface of theremains intact. The brokenare damaged such as skin to the fracture site orbone may be quite unstablefractured ribs that penetrate a broken bone partiallyand tear internal organsthe lung or a fractured skull or completely protrudingor major blood vesselspenetrating into the brain.through the skin. With anyresulting in severe bleeding.open fracture there can be severe blood loss and high risk of infection.Childrens bones do not fully develop or harden for many years, so their bones are more likely to bend or crack than to break completely. This is known as a greenstick fracture.112 Muscle, Joint and Bone Injury'