Los Angeles Injury Lawyer Blog

Broken bones (or fractures) occur when the physical force exerted on the bone is stronger than the bone itself. Common causes of broken bones are falls from large heights and motor vehicle accidents. A large number of car accidents result in broken bones and serious fractures because the forces acting on the body in a car accident are usually so severe. Common injuries include broken legs, broken arms, broken wrists, broken ankles, broken pelvis and broken jaw bones. Serious breaks of the bone sustained in a car crash are also more likely to require surgery as the type of break may be more severe than a simple fracture. The repair of a fracture is a gradual process and generally requires the bone to be immobilized for several weeks. Once stabilized into position, it is important to build up strength in the healing bone through movement, exercise and physiotherapy. Unfortunately fractures can take a substantial amount of time to fully heal. The severity of a fracture depends upon its location and the damage done to the bone and tissue near it. Serious fractures can have dangerous complications if not treated promptly; possible complications include damage to blood vessels or nerves and infection of the bone (osteomyelitis) or surrounding tissue. Recuperation time varies depending on the age and health of the patient and the type of fracture. A minor fracture in a child may heal within a few weeks; a serious fracture in an older person may take months to heal. If your fracture injuries were due to an accident or incident where you were not at fault, you can make a personal injury claim and can seek compensation against the person responsible. If you have been injured in any type of accident, you should contact a lawyer to know your rights. You may be entitled to additional medical care and monetary compensation. If you are located in the state of California, please call us now at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776).

TYPES OF FRACTURES
There are many types of fractures, but the main categories are simple and compound (whether or not the bone breaks through the skin) and complete and incomplete (the way the bone breaks). In a simple fracture, also called a closed fracture, the bone breaks but there is no open wound in the skin. A compound fracture, also referred to as an open fracture, is when the bone breaks through the skin; it may then recede back into the wound and not be visible through the skin. Complete and incomplete fractures refer to the manner in which the bone breaks. In a complete fracture, the bone breaks into two or more parts. In the case of an incomplete fracture, the bone cracks but does not break all the way through. Simple fractures include:

Buckle Fracture: Part of the bone buckles and ruptures, but doe snot break into pieces.

Greenstick fracture: an incomplete fracture with small cracks in the bone.

Avulsion Fracture: An avulsion fracture is when a tendon that attaches a muscle to a bone pulls a piece of the bone apart.

Transverse fracture: a fracture at a right angle to the bone's axis.

Hairline Fractures: Small fault lines in the bone, but the bones remain connected.

Oblique fracture: a fracture in which the break slopes.

Comminuted fracture: a fracture in which the bone breaks into several pieces. These breaks may require metal plates to repair.

An impacted fracture is one whose ends are driven into each other (also known as a buckle fracture). Other types of fracture are pathologic fracture, caused by a disease that weakens the bones, and stress fracture, a hairline crack.

Other types of fracture are pathologic fracture, caused by a disease that weakens the bones, and a stress fracture.