Is there any difference between a fracture and a break?

Pighead

Well how is everybody in here doing.Good i hope.
Right basically i'm a bit confused on the whole fracturing your arm and breaking your arm thing.Many different people have given many different opinions on the matter but i havent been able to get the definitive answer from anybody
Even Google seems confused,
http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/brokenbones/g/fracture.htm
http://www.locateadoc.com/questions.cfm/649-Check out the bottom problem

Any help would be most gratefully received by Pighead.
Gotta go now its breaktime(or should that be fracturetime
PS:This thread was not a cheap tool in order to get that last crappy "joke"in

snorlax

well here's what i know from Orthopaeds in college;

When a bone breaks it is called a fracture. There's more than one way to break or fracture a bone. A break can be anything from a hairline fracture (a thin break in the bone) to the bone that's snapped in two pieces like a broken tree branch.

Medical personnel describe fractures in the following ways:

* A complete fracture is when the bone has broken into two pieces.
* A greenstick fracture is when the bone cracks on one side only, not all the way through.
* A single fracture is when the bone is broken in one place.
* A comminuted fracture is when the bone is broken into more than two pieces or crushed.
* A bowing fracture, which only happens in kids, is when the bone bends but doesn't break.
* An open fracture is when the bone is sticking through the
skin.

Pighead

Thanks for the info and the prompt reply Snorlax.Thoughd i'd have to wait until Dr Indy finished his 37 hour shift in the hospital to get the info
Cheers buddy

snorlax

no probs !