Title: Fractures
Course: Non-Communicable Diseases, Emergency Care and Mental Health Part 1 - Ethiopia (Full)

Fractures

Another common consequence of accidents or violence is fracture of a bone. A fracture is where there is a break in a bone caused by a force applied to the body. The degree of damage depends on the magnitude of force applied and the strength of the bone. Fractures can happen as a result of minimal force if the bone is weak due to underlying disease (e.g. osteoporosis, or bone cancer). If you have not come across osteoporosis before, it means softening of the bones due to reduction in the concentration of calcium in the bone. This condition is more common in older persons and people who are not moving around because of other illnesses or disability.

Can you give an example from your daily life experience in a rural area of some causes of a bone fracture? Which group in a population is most likely to suffer such an injury and why?

Show answer

You may have thought of a fall from a horse, tree or motorbike, a heavy blow from a stick or a bullet passing through a bone. Children and young men are the most likely members of a population to take the type of risks that lead to fractures (Figure 7.3).

Figure 7.3 Children and young men are more likely to take risks that lead to fractures and other injuries.