Trauma Introduction

Injuries due to trauma are major causes of mortality and disability worldwide. According to the WHO approximately five million people die every year in accidents. In general two thirds have fractures, 10% dislocations and 5% soft tissue injuries. Over 70% are usually males. The majority of injuries occur in individuals between 25 to 44 years of age.

Fractures are typically described using three variables. To describe fractures of a specific bone, there are often special classification systems which are specific to the broken one only.

[1] Where is the fracture: which bone is fractured; where is the location on the bone (diaphysis-shaft, metaphysis-widening portion of the bones; epiphysis- the end of the bone adjacent to the joint. Sometimes anatomical descriptions are used:
base, shaft, neck and head

[2] What type of fracture complete (transverse, oblique, spiral, comminuted, avulsion, segmental); incomplete (bowing, buckle, greenstick, torus). In children the relation to the growth plate is important and categorized by the Salter-Harris classification.

[3] Is it displaced: angulated, translated, rotated, distracted or impacted.