Types of Bone Fractures
When a bone encounters a stress that is stronger than the bone itself, it can suffer from a fracture. There are several different types of fractures, whose occurrence can depend on the severity of the injury, the bone density, and the location of the bone itself.
The three main categories of bone breaks are compound, incomplete, and simple fractures. Compound fractures occur when a bone snaps into two or more parts; this can include bone fragments breaking the skin. Incomplete breaks happen when the breakage does not go all the way across the bone. Lastly, simple fractures are made up of several different subcategories, including:
- Transverse – occurs perpendicular to the bone’s axis
- Greenstick – happens when the bone is bent
- Comminuted – describes when a bone is fragmented into pieces
- Oblique – refers to a sloping break
- Stress – is the name for just a hairline crack
- Pathologic – happens when disease weakens the bone
- Impacted – occurs when the ends of a bone are driven towards each other, also called a buckle fracture
Bone Fractures and Babies
With about 300 bones as compared to an adult’s 206, babies have many places where fractures can occur. During the delivery process, there are several things that can cause your baby’s bones to break. First, large or overdue infants can be too big for the birth canal. Getting wedged inside can cause shoulder or collarbone fractures. This can also happen with overly long deliveries. Additionally, the use of forceps during birth can squeeze a baby too tightly, which can also lead to fractures.
Contact Us
While doctors can’t always prevent fractures from hurting your baby, there are cases when negligence on behalf of the medical staff can lead to bone breaks. If your newborn has suffered a fracture due to the recklessness of a medical professional, you may be entitled to financial compensation.
For more information regarding baby bone fractures and other birth injuries, contact an experienced Philadelphia birth injury lawyer at Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. today at 215-238-1130.