Fracture Description

Integrity of skin/soft tissue

• closed: skin/soft tissue over and near # is intact
• open: skin/soft tissue over and near # is lacerated or abraded, # exposed to outside environment

Location

• epiphyseal: end of bone, forming part of the adjacent joint
• metaphyseal: the flared portion of the bone at the ends of the shaft
• diaphyseal: the shaft of a long bone (proximal, middle, distal)
• physis: growth plate

Fracture Pattern

• transverse: perpendicular # line, direct force, high energy
• oblique: angular # line, angular or rotational force
• segmental: a separate segment of bone bordered by # lines
• spiral: complex multi-planar # line, rotational force
• comminuted: more than 2 # fragments
• intra-articular: # line crosses articular cartilage and enters joint
• compression/impacted: impaction of bone
• torus: buckle # of one cortex, often in children
• green-stick: incomplete # of one cortex, often in children
• pathologic: # through bone weakened by disease/tumour

Displacement

• undisplaced: # fragments are in anatomic alignment
• displaced: # fragments are not in anatomical alignment
• distracted: # fragments are separated by a gap
• angulated: direction of # apex e.g. varus/valgus
• translated: percentage or mm of overlapping bone at # site

(TBV ~ 5000mL)

Attachments:

Fractures – General Principles.jpg (image/jpeg)