Chunky bones such as the carpals in the wrist and the tarsals in the ankle are less liable to fracture. Sometimes, a bone breaks following repeated minor strains.
Some bones have a tendency to fracture easily because they are weak from disease or osteoporosis.
A medical description usually classifies a fracture in terms of the effect that it has on surrounding tissues. A complicated fracture is one that damages a nearby structure, such as a blood vessel, nerve, or body organ. An impacted fracture is a type of fracture in which one end of the broken bone becomes wedged or compressed into another bone. The basis of treatment for all fractures is to relocate the bone in its normal anatomical position and to hold it there until new bone has had time to heal the break. A plaster of paris or fiberglass cast is often used for this purpose.