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I've heard of spiral fractures - what are they and how are they caused?

A spiral fracture is different from a "regular" fracture that many people can sustain from a fall or trauma. Also called a torsion fracture, a spiral fracture can only be caused if a limb (arm or leg) is twisted in such a way that causes the bone to break.

There are certain types of accidents that can cause a spiral fracture, however, they can also be caused by abuse, if an arm or leg is twisted by the abuser.

Reference: 

Laurence O'Connor-Read, MRCS, James Teh, FRCR, and Keith Willett, FRCS. Radiographic Evidence to Help Predict the Mechanism of Injury of Pediatric Spiral Fractures in Nonaccidental Injury. In Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics. October/November 2007. Vol. 27. No. 7. Pp. 754-757.

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