Broken arm and dislocated wrist. Coloured X-ray showing a fracture (centre) of the radius bone in the forearm and a dislocation of the wrist joint at the end of the ulna bone (centre left). There are two main types of fracture: a simple fracture where the bones break cleanly, or a compound fracture where the ends of the broken bones pierce the skin. Treatment of a dislocation requires that the bones are manipulated back into their correct position. Treatment for a fracture may involve realignment of the bone ends, combined with immobilization by external splints or internal fixation until the bones have healed.