Fracture

Fracture is the breaking of a solid material into two or more pieces along a surface of internal weakness. Fractures can occur in any material - bone, metal, ceramics, polymer, and composites - when subjected to normal or abnormally high stress. Fracture is a major cause of failure in engineering materials and components, and is an important factor in the design of structures and materials. In addition, fracture often plays a role in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions, such as bone fractures from injury or disease.