(I) Doctors have noted a dramatic increase in bone fractures in children and teenagers in recent years. (II) Bones are rigid but not inflexible; they will bend in response to external forces. (III) For example, if you fall forward with your hands outstretched, the bones of your hands, wrists, and arms will flex to absorb the shock and then return to their original shape. (IV) However, as many of us know from personal experience, the skeletal system has its limits. (V) If a force is applied that exceeds a bone's resiliency, the result is a broken bone, or fracture.