Mechanisms of Fracture
Traumatic fracture – This is a fracture due to sustained trauma. e.g., fractures caused by a fall, road traffic accident, fight, etc.
Pathologic fracture – A fracture through a bone that has been made weak by some underlying disease is called pathological fracture. e.g., a fracture through a bone weakened by metastasis. Osteoporosis is the most common cause of pathological fracture.
Periprosthetic fracture – This is a fracture at the point of mechanical weakness at the end of an implant
Fracture Patterns
Linear fracture: A fracture that is parallel to the bone's long axis
Transverse fracture: A fracture that is at a right angle to the bone's long axis
Oblique fracture: A fracture that is diagonal to a bone's long axis (more than 30°)
Spiral fracture: A fracture where at least one part of the bone has been twisted
Compression fracture/wedge fracture: usually occurs in the vertebrae, for example when the front portion of a vertebra in the spine collapses due to osteoporosis (a medical condition which causes bones to become brittle and susceptible to fracture, with or without trauma)
Impacted fracture: A fracture caused when bone fragments are driven into each other
Avulsion fracture: A fracture where a fragment of bone is separated from the main mass
