The way a [[mineral]] A '''fracturesfracture''' can sometimes help to identify is a break, usually in a [[bone]]. If the broken bone punctures the skin, itis called an open or compound fracture. Most fractures Fractures commonly happen because of car accidents, falls or sports injuries. Another cause is [[osteoporosis]], which causes weakening of the bones. Overuse can be described by cause stress fractures, which are very small cracks in the following terms:bone.
<table><tr><td>''Uneven''<td>Rough or irregular surface</td></tr>Symptoms of a fracture are<tr><td>''Conchoidal''<td>"Shell * Out-like," with a smooth curved surface.</td></tr>of-place or misshapen limb or joint<tr><td>''Hackly''<td>Sharp * Swelling, jagged surfaces like broken metal.</td></tr>bruising or bleeding<tr><td>''Splintery''<td>Forming elongated splinters (applies to fibrous minerals).</td></tr> * Intense pain<tr><td>''Earthy''<td>Breaking like [[clay]] * Numbness and tingling * Limited mobility or [[chalk]].</td></tr></table> Chesterman, p. 32inability to move a limb=Sources=*ChestermanIf you have a fracture, Charles Wyou may need to wear a cast or splint. ''The Audubon Society Field Guide Sometimes you need surgery to North American Rocks and Minerals''put in plates, Alfred Apins or screws to keep the bone in place. Knopf: New York (1987) [[categoryCategory:geologyMedicine]]