Box Fractures A fracture is a break in a bone, usually accompanied by injury to the surrounding tissues. Most fractures result from an injury, such as that caused by an automobile accident, sports, or a fall. A fracture occurs when the force against a bone is greater than the strength of the bone. The direction, speed, and power of the force affect the type and severity of the fracture, as do the age, resilience, and type of bone. Bones weakened by osteoporosis or tumors can be fractured with very light force.
Open fractures are more likely to become infected than closed fractures.
Compression fractures result from forces that drive one bone against another or that press against the length of the bone. Compression fractures often occur in elderly women whose vertebral bones, weakened by osteoporosis, compress and then fracture. In comminuted fractures, a severe, direct force causes several breaks, producing several bone fragments. These fractures may heal very slowly if the blood supply to part of the bone is interrupted. Avulsion fractures are caused by strong muscle contractions pulling off sections of bone to which the muscle tendon is attached.