Here is our latest infographic on common fracture types that veterinarians and veterinarian students should know about.

Virtually all bones are susceptible to fracturing whether you are a human or an animal- we all break! The most common long bones that are prone to fracturing are the humerus, radius, femur and tibia.

Veterinary surgeons categorize these fractures into different categories: Closed (simple), Open (compound), comminuted fracture, epiphyseal (growth plate), greenstick (hairline), or pathologic fracture.

A closed fracture is contained within the skin. The bone is broken, but the skin is intact. An open fracture is pierces through the skin and is exposed. Comminuted fracture- the bone is splintered, crushed, or broken into pieces Epiphyseal fractures are (commonly) seen in young dogs- these happen most often on the growth plates or epiphyseal plates.

In young animals the growth plate fractures because it’s the weakest part of the bone. Veterinary surgeons use the Salter-Harris system to categorize these fractures into grades or types.

Greenstick (hairline)- Is a small crack/partial fracture in which the bone is essentially left intact, the bone isn’t completely broken. Pathologic fracture- is a fracture caused from a disease that weakens the bone.

Please check out our other Fact Posts.