Diastatic fractures occur when the fracture line transverses

one or more sutures of the skull causing a widening of the suture. While this type of fracture is usually seen in infants and young children as the sutures are not yet fused it can also occur in adults. When a diastatic fracture occurs in adults it usually affects the lambdoidal suture as this suture does not fully fuse in adults until about the age of 60.

Diastatic fractures can occur with different types of fractures and it is also possible for diastasis of the cranial sutures to occur without a concomitant fracture. Sutural diastasis may also occur in various congenital disorders such as cleidocranial dysplasia and osteogenesis imperfecta.

Basilar skull fractures are linear fractures that occur in the floor of the cranial vault (skull base), which require more force to cause than other areas of the neurocranium. Thus they are rare, occurring as the only fracture in only 4% of severe head injury patients.

Basilar fractures have characteristic signs: blood in the sinuses; a clear fluid called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaking from the nose (rhinorrhea) or ears (otorrhea); periorbital ecchymosis often called 'raccoon eyes' (bruising of the orbits of the eyes that result from blood collecting there as it leaks from the fracture site); and retroauricular ecchymosis known as "Battle's sign" (bruising over the mastoid process).

A basilar skull fracture is a break of a bone in the base of the skull. Symptoms may include bruising behind the ears, bruising around the eyes, or blood behind the ear drum. A cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak occurs in about 20% of cases and can result in fluid leaking from the nose or ear. Meningitis is a complication in about 14% of cases. Other complications include cranial nerve or blood vessel injury.

They typically require a significant degree of trauma to occur. The break is of at least one of the following bones: temporal bone, occipital bone, sphenoid bone, frontal bone, or ethmoid bone. They are divided into anterior fossa, middle fossa, and poterior fossa fractures. Facial fractures often also occur. Diagnosis is typically by CT scan.

Treatment is generally based on the injury to structures inside the head. Surgery may be done for a CSF leak that does not stop or an injury to a blood vessel or nerve. Preventative antibiotics are of unclear use. It occurs in about 12% of people with a severe head injury.

In orthopedic medicine, fractures are classified in various ways. Historically they are named after the physician who first described the fracture conditions, however, there are more systematic classifications in place currently.

Even though symptoms vary widely after experiencing a bone fracture, the most common fracture symptoms include:

- pain in the fractured area

- swelling in the fractured area

- obvious deformity in the fractured area

- not being able to use or move the fractured area in a normal manner

- bruising, warmth, or redness in the fractured area

Basilar skull fractures include breaks in the posterior skull base or anterior skull base. The former involve the occipital bone, temporal bone, and portions of the sphenoid bone; the latter, superior portions of the sphenoid and ethmoid bones. The temporal bone fracture is encountered in 75% of all basilar skull fractures and may be longitudinal, transverse or mixed, depending on the course of the fracture line in relation to the longitudinal axis of the pyramid.

Bones may be broken around the foramen magnum, the hole in the base of the skull through which the brain stem exits and becomes the spinal cord, creating the risk that blood vessels and nerves exiting the hole may be damaged.

Due to the proximity of the cranial nerves, injury to those nerves may occur. This can cause of the facial nerve or oculomotor nerve or hearing loss due to damage of cranial nerve VIII.

After a humerus fracture, pain is immediate, enduring, and exacerbated with the slightest movements. The affected region swells, with bruising appearing a day or two after the fracture. The fracture is typically accompanied by a discoloration of the skin at the site of the fracture. A crackling or rattling sound may also be present, caused by the fractured humerus pressing against itself. In cases in which the nerves are affected, then there will be a loss of control or sensation in the arm below the fracture. If the fracture affects the blood supply, then the patient will have a diminished pulse at the wrist. Displaced fractures of the humerus shaft will often cause deformity and a shortening of the length of the upper arm. Distal fractures may also cause deformity, and they typically limit the ability to flex the elbow.

A zygoma fracture (zygomatic fracture) is a form of facial fracture caused by a fracture of the zygomatic bone. A zygoma fracture is often the result of facial trauma such as violence, falls or automobile accidents.

Symptoms include flattening of the face, trismus (reduced opening of the jaw) and lateral subconjunctival hemorrhage.

A "corner fracture" or "bucket-handle fracture" is fragmentation of the distal end of one or both femurs, with the loose piece appearing at the bone margins as an osseous density paralleling the metaphysis. The term "bucket-handle fracture" is used where the loose bone is rather wide at the distal end, making it end in a crescent shape. These types of fractures are characteristic of child abuse-related injuries.

Pediatric fractures can be classified as complete and incomplete:

- Incomplete: there are three basic forms of incomplete fractures:

- The first is the greenstick fracture, a transverse fracture of the cortex which extends into the midportion of the bone and becomes oriented along the longitudinal axis of the bone without disrupting the opposite cortex.

- The second form is a torus or buckling fracture, caused by impaction. They are usually the result of a force acting on the longitudinal axis of the bone: they are typically a consequence of a fall on an outstretched arm, so they mainly involve the distal radial metaphysis. The word torus is derived from the Latin word 'torus,' meaning swelling or protuberance.

- The third is a bow fracture in which the bone becomes curved along its longitudinal axis.

- Complete fractures

There are also physeal fractures (fractures involving the physis, the growth plate, which is not present in adults). The Salter-Harris classification is the most used to describe these fractures.

Individuals with Jefferson fractures usually experience pain in the upper neck but no neurological signs. The fracture may also cause damage to the arteries in the neck, resulting in lateral medullary syndrome, Horner's syndrome, ataxia, and the inability to sense pain or temperature.

In rare cases, congenital abnormality may cause the same symptoms as a Jefferson fracture.

A clavicle fracture, also known as a broken collarbone, is a bone fracture of the clavicle. Symptoms typically include pain at the site of the break and a decreased ability to move the affected arm. Complications can include a collection of air in the pleural space surrounding the lung (pneumothorax), injury to the nerves or blood vessels in the area, and an unpleasant appearance.

It is often caused by a fall onto a shoulder, outstretched arm, or direct trauma. The fracture can also occur in a baby during childbirth. The middle section of the clavicle is most often involved. Diagnosis is typically based on symptoms and confirmed with X-rays.

Clavicle fractures are typically treated by putting the arm in a sling for one or two weeks. Pain medication such as paracetamol (acetaminophen) may be useful. It can take up to five months for the strength of the bone to return to normal. Reasons for surgical repair include an open fracture, involvement of the nerves or blood vessels, or shortening of the clavicle by more than 1.5 cm in a young person.

Clavicle fractures most commonly occur in people under the age of 25 and those over the age of 70. Among the younger group males are more often affected than females. In adults they make up about 5% of all fractures while in children they represent about 13% of fractures.

A bone fracture (sometimes abbreviated FRX or Fx, F, or #) is a medical condition in which there is a damage in the continuity of the bone. A bone fracture may be the result of high force impact or stress, or a minimal trauma injury as a result of certain medical conditions that weaken the bones, such as osteoporosis, bone cancer, or osteogenesis imperfecta, where the fracture is then properly termed a pathologic fracture.

A humerus fracture is a break of the humerus bone in the upper arm. Fractures of the humerus may be classified by the location into proximal region, which is near the shoulder, the middle region or shaft, and the distal region, which is near the elbow. These locations can further be divided based on the extent of the fracture and the specific areas of each of the three regions affected. Humerus fractures usually occur after physical trauma, falls, excess physical stress, or pathological conditions such as tumors. Falls are the most common cause of proximal and shaft fractures, and those who experience a fracture from a fall usually have an underlying risk factor for bone fracture. Distal fractures occur most frequently in children who attempt to break a fall with an outstretched hand.

Symptoms of fracture are pain, swelling, and discoloration of the skin at the site of the fracture. Bruising appears a few days after the fracture. The neurovascular bundle of the arm may be affected in severe cases, which will cause loss of nerve function and diminished blood supply beneath the fracture. Proximal and distal fractures will often cause a loss of shoulder or elbow function. Displaced shaft and distal fractures may cause deformity, and such shaft fractures will often shorten the length of the upper arm. Most humerus fractures are nondisplaced and will heal within a few weeks if the arm is immobilized. Severe displaced humerus fractures and complications often require surgical intervention. In most cases, normal function to the arm returns after the fracture is healed. In severe cases, however, function of the arm may be diminished after recovery.

A greenstick fracture is a fracture in a young, soft bone in which the bone bends and breaks. Greenstick fractures usually occur most often during infancy and childhood when bones are soft. The name is by analogy with green (i.e., fresh) wood which similarly breaks on the outside when bent. It was discovered by British-American orthopedist, John Insall, and Polish-American orthopedist, Michael Slupecki.

There are nine types of Salter–Harris fractures; types I to V as described by Robert B Salter and W Robert Harris in 1963, and the rarer types VI to IX which have been added subsequently:

- Type I – transverse fracture through the growth plate (also referred to as the "physis"): 6% incidence

- Type II – A fracture through the growth plate and the metaphysis, sparing the epiphysis: 75% incidence, takes approximately 2–3 weeks or more in the spine to heal.

- Type III – A fracture through growth plate and epiphysis, sparing the metaphysis: 8% incidence

- Type IV – A fracture through all three elements of the bone, the growth plate, metaphysis, and epiphysis: 10% incidence

- Type V – A compression fracture of the growth plate (resulting in a decrease in the perceived space between the epiphysis and metaphysis on x-ray): 1% incidence

- Type VI – Injury to the peripheral portion of the physis and a resultant bony bridge formation which may produce an angular deformity (added in 1969 by Mercer Rang)

- Type VII – Isolated injury of the epiphyseal plate (VII–IX added in 1982 by JA Ogden)

- Type VIII – Isolated injury of the metaphysis with possible impairment of endochondral ossification

- Type IX – Injury of the periosteum which may impair intramembranous ossification

The zygomaticomaxillary complex fracture, also known as a quadripod fracture, quadramalar fracture, and formerly referred to as a tripod fracture or trimalar fracture, has four components: the lateral orbital wall (at either the zygomaticofrontal suture superiorly along the wall or zygomaticosphenoid suture inferiorly), separation of the maxilla and zygoma along the anterior maxilla (near the zygomaticomaxillary suture), the zygomatic arch, and the orbital floor near the infraorbital canal.

As with other types of fractures, scapular fracture may be associated with pain localized to the area of the fracture, tenderness, swelling, and crepitus (the crunching sound of bone ends grinding together). Since scapular fractures impair the motion of the shoulder, a person with a scapular fracture has a reduced ability to move the shoulder joint. Signs and symptoms may be masked by other injuries that accompany the scapular fracture.

A Jefferson fracture is a bone fracture of the anterior and posterior arches of the C1 vertebra, though it may also appear as a three- or two-part fracture. The fracture may result from an axial load on the back of the head or hyperextension of the neck (e.g. caused by diving), causing a posterior break, and may be accompanied by a break in other parts of the cervical spine.

It is named after the British neurologist and neurosurgeon Sir Geoffrey Jefferson, who reported four cases of the fracture in 1920 in addition to reviewing cases that had been reported previously.

The classic clinical presentation of a hip fracture is an elderly patient who sustained a low-energy fall and now has groin pain and is unable to bear weight. Pain may be referred to the supracondylar knee. On examination, the affected extremity is often shortened and unnaturally, externally rotated compared to the unaffected leg.

People usually present with a history of an injury and localized pain. There is often a deformity in the wrist with associated swelling. Numbness of the hand can occur because of compression on the median nerve across the wrist (carpal tunnel syndrome). The wrist deformity often limits motion of the fingers.

A Salter–Harris fracture is a fracture that involves the epiphyseal plate or growth plate of a bone. It is a common injury found in children, occurring in 15% of childhood long bone fractures.

A Smith Fracture is a named vertebral fracture occurring most commonly in the lumbar spine. It is similar to that of a Chance fracture and is associated with seat belt injuries. This fracture represents a fracture through the posterior elements including the superior articular processes but not the spinous process, as well as an avulsion fracture of the vertebral body. This fracture is not to be confused with the more commonly referred to Smith's fracture of the wrist.

Triplane fracture is a fracture at the epiphyseal plate of the tibia in early adolescence with involvement of the epiphysis and metaphysis of the tibia. The link presents two types of imaging. The first four images (figures 1-4) are radiographic images while the last 3 are CT scans of the left distal tibia and fibula. The first radiographic image is an anterior-posterior view of the distal third of the left tibia and fibula. The image presents a fracture of the distal epiphyseal plate of the tibia and fibula. The primary imaging (radiograph) identifies the abnormality in the anatomy of subject’s left distal tibia and fibula. However, it is difficult to view the extent of the fracture and classify the fracture based on radiographic image. Figure four is a CT scan of the posterior aspect of the left distal tibia and fibula. Note that in this image the extent of the fracture is more visible extending to the epiphysis and metaphysis. The type of fracture is a Salter-Harris type IV. The CT scan was an appropriate choice of advance imaging which helps clinicians determine the extent of the fracture and enable us to address the problem appropriately.

Swelling, deformity, tenderness and loss of wrist motion are normal features on examination of a person with a distal radius fracture. Examination should rule out a skin wound which might suggest an open fracture. It is imperative to check for loss of sensation, loss of circulation to the hand, and more proximal injuries to the forearm, elbow and shoulder. The most common associated neurological finding is decreased sensation over the thenar eminence due to associated median nerve injury.

A classic "dinner fork" deformity may be seen in dorsally angulated fractures due to dorsal displacement of the carpus. The reverse deformity may be seen in volarly angulated fractures.