Chalkstick fractures are fractures, typically of

long bones The long bones are those that are longer than they are wide. They are one of five types of bones: long, short, flat, irregular and sesamoid. Long bones, especially the femur and tibia, are subjected to most of the load during daily activities a ...

, in which the fracture is transverse to the long axis of the bone, like a broken stick of chalk. A healthy long bone typically breaks like a hard woody stick as the

collagen Collagen () is the main structural protein in the extracellular matrix of the connective tissues of many animals. It is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up 25% to 35% of protein content. Amino acids are bound together to form a trip ...

in the matrix adds remarkable flexibility to the mineral and the energy can run up and down the growth rings of bone. The bones of children will even follow a

greenstick fracture A greenstick fracture is a partial bone break that typically occurs in children due to their more flexible and resilient bone composition. This fracture pattern is characterized by a break on one side of the bone while the other side remains inta ...

pattern. Chalkstick fractures are particularly common in

Paget's disease of bone Paget's disease of bone (commonly known as Paget's disease or, historically, osteitis deformans) is a condition involving Bone remodeling, cellular remodeling and deformity of one or more bones. The affected bones show signs of dysregulated bone ...

, and

osteopetrosis Osteopetrosis, literally , also known as marble bone disease or Albers-Schönberg disease, is an extremely rare inherited disorder whereby the bones harden, becoming denser, in contrast to more prevalent conditions like osteoporosis, in which ...

. It is also seen in cases of fused spine as in a patient with

ankylosing spondylitis Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of arthritis from the disease spectrum of axial spondyloarthritis. It is characterized by long-term inflammation of the joints of the spine, typically where the spine joins the pelvis. With AS, eye and bow ...

Treatment

Nonsurgical orthotic management may be appropriate for individuals who have stable fracture patterns as well as no neurological defects. Long-term monitoring is also required to avoid developing a worsening kyphotic deformity. If these patients develop malalignment syndrome, surgical treatment is advised. Patients with neurological deficits or unstable patterns of fracture require surgical fixation to relieve

spinal cord compression Spinal cord compression is a form of myelopathy in which the spinal cord is compressed. Causes can be bone fragments from a vertebral fracture, a tumor, abscess, ruptured intervertebral disc or other lesion. When acute it can cause a medical eme ...

and stabilize the injury. A halo brace is another option to manage patients with

cervical fracture A cervical fracture, commonly called a broken neck, is a fracture of any of the seven cervical vertebrae in the neck. Examples of common causes in humans are traffic collisions and diving into shallow water. Abnormal movement of neck bones or pie ...

Treatment

References

Further reading