If more pressure is put on a bone than it can stand, it will split or break. A break of any size is called a fracture. If the broken bone punctures the skin, it is called an open fracture (compound fracture).
A stress fracture is a hairline crack in the bone that develops because of repeated or prolonged forces against the bone.
Alternative Names:
Bone - broken; Fracture; Stress fracture
Considerations:
It is hard to tell a dislocated bone from a broken bone. However, both are emergency situations, and the basic first aid steps are the same.
Repetitive forces, such as those caused by running, can cause stress fractures of the foot, ankle, tibia, or hip
Symptoms:
A visibly out-of-place or misshapen limb or joint
Swelling, bruising, or bleeding
Intense pain
Numbness and tingling
Broken skin with bone protruding
Limited mobility or inability to move a limb
Review Date: 5/7/2007
Reviewed By: Thomas N. Joseph, MD, Private Practice specializing in Orthopaedics, subspecialty Foot and Ankle, Camden Bone & Joint, Camden, SC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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Fractures, General Pediatrics
