Bone Fractures (Broken Bones)

A bone fracture is the medical definition of a broken bone. You might see these names used interchangeably.

Traumas like falls, car accidents and sports injuries cause most fractures. But some health conditions or repetitive motions (like running or doing physical work) can lead to broken bones, too.

You’ll need to wear a splint, cast or brace to hold your broken bone stable while it heals. Some fractures need surgery to repair them.

Go to the emergency room if you think you have a broken bone. Try to hold that part of your body stable and don’t use it. Call 911 (or your local emergency services number) if you experience a severe trauma like a car accident.

Types of bone fractures

There are lots of different types of fractures. Healthcare providers classify them in a few ways.

Some fractures are named for their patterns. This means the shape of the break or what it looks like, including:

• Breaks in a straight line: This includes oblique fractures and transverse fractures.
• Fractures with an uneven break line: Greenstick fractures, comminuted fractures, segmental fractures and spiral fractures all cause uneven fracture patterns.

Providers classify some broken bones by how they happened, including:

• Stress fractures: A small crack in one of your bones.
• Avulsion fractures: A piece of bone attached to a tendon or ligament pulls away from the main part of the bone.
• Buckle fractures: Sudden pressure (usually from falling) squeezes a child’s bone out of place.
• Compression fractures: Too much pressure on your spinal bones makes them break and collapse.

Your provider might diagnose a fracture as open or closed, in addition to giving it a name. If you have an open fracture, your bone breaks through your skin. Open fractures are sometimes referred to as compound fractures. They usually take longer to heal. They also have an increased risk of infections and other complications. Closed fractures are still serious, but your bone doesn’t push through your skin.

Displaced or non-displaced are other words your provider will use to describe a fracture. A displaced fracture means the pieces of your bone moved so much that a gap formed around the fracture when your bone broke. Displaced fractures are much more likely to require surgery to repair. Non-displaced fractures are still broken bones. But the pieces didn’t move far enough to be out of alignment.

Symptoms of bone fractures

Symptoms of bone fractures include:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Tenderness
• Not being able to move a body part like usual
• Bruising or discoloration
• A deformity or bump you can see or feel

Bone fracture causes

Traumas are the most common cause of broken bones. Anything that hits one of your bones with enough force can break it. Some of the most common causes include:

• Car accidents
• Slips, trips or falls
• Sports injuries

It’s possible to fracture a bone without experiencing trauma or a single injury. For example, repetitive forces like running or practicing a sport can put lots of pressure on your bones. Over time, this can cause stress fractures.

Risk factors

You’re much more likely to break a bone if you have osteoporosis. It’s especially common in females. Talk to a healthcare provider about a bone density scan if you’re over 65.

Anyone can break a bone, but your work and hobbies can increase your risk. If you repeat one movement or motion a lot, you might develop overuse syndrome. This can increase your risk of breaks in your fingers, hands and wrists. Similarly, playing contact sports can increase your overall fracture risk.

Bone fracture complications

Broken bones can develop a few complications while they heal, including:

• Malunion
• Nonunion
• Bone infections (these are more common in open fractures)
• Compartment syndrome in the muscles around your broken bone

The injuries that cause broken bones can affect your other tissue, too. Muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels can be damaged during an injury. The pieces of your broken bone can also damage tissue when they’re pushed out of place.

How doctors diagnose broken bones

A healthcare provider will diagnose a bone fracture with a physical exam and imaging tests. In some cases, they do this in the emergency room if you’re admitted after a trauma.

If you’re taken to the ER, a team of providers will stabilize you and treat your injuries in the order of severity. Especially if some are life-threatening. After you’re stabilized, you’ll need imaging tests to confirm any fractures.

Tests that are used

You’ll need at least one of a few imaging tests to take pictures of your bones:

• X-rays
• MRI
• CT scan
• Bone scans

Bone fracture treatment

How healthcare providers treat a fracture depends on which type it is, what caused it and how damaged your bones are. Bone fracture treatments include:

• Immobilization: You’ll need a splint or cast to hold your bone in place while it heals. If you have a non-displaced fracture, this might be the only treatment you need. Splinting usually lasts for three to five weeks. If you need a cast, it will likely be for longer — typically, six to eight weeks.
• Closed reduction: More severe breaks require a closed reduction to realign (set) your bone. During this nonsurgical procedure, your provider will physically push and pull your body on the outside to line up your broken bone inside you.
• Bone fracture surgery: Some breaks require surgery. Your surgeon will usually do an open reduction and internal fixation. They’ll put fasteners like rods, pins, plates, wires and screws into the pieces of your bone to hold them together. Some people live with these pieces inserted in them forever. You might need follow-up surgeries to remove them.
• External fixation: This is usually a temporary way to stabilize a fracture before it’s safe for you to have internal fixation surgery. Your surgeon will put screws in your bone on either side of the fracture inside your body. Then, they’ll connect them to a brace or bracket around the bone, outside your body.
• Joint replacement: You might need this if a fracture severely damages the bones in one of your joints. Your surgeon will replace some or all of your natural joint with artificial replacement parts.
• Bone grafts: You might need a bone graft if a fracture is severely displaced or your bone doesn’t heal correctly. Your surgeon will insert donor bone tissue to rejoin your fractured bone. After that, they’ll usually perform an internal fixation to hold the pieces together while your bone regrows.

What can I expect if I have a bone fracture?

Most people who break a bone make a full recovery. You should be able to resume all your usual activities after your bone heals. Some fractures can have a long-term impact on your life, especially if you experienced other injuries. Talk to your surgeon or healthcare provider before resuming any physical activities or playing sports. They’ll tell you when it’s safe to start using your bone normally.

How long does it take bone fractures to heal?

How long it takes a bone fracture to heal depends on a few factors, including:

• Its cause
• Which bone is broken
• The type of fracture
• Which treatments you need
• Any other injuries you experienced

Depending on which type of immobilization or surgery you needed to repair your fracture, you should be able to start moving again in a few weeks. More severe fractures can take a year or more to heal.

Talk to your provider or surgeon about what to expect while you’re recovering. Contact your provider right away if you experience intense pain that doesn’t get better.