1-7

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1-7. TYPES OF FRACTURES

A fracture may be displaced (bone moved out of normal alignment) or nondisplaced (bone remains in normal alignment). A nondisplaced fracture may be difficult to identify without an x-ray. Therefore, anytime you suspect that a fracture may be present, treat the injury as though you knew the fracture existed. Some types of fractures are briefly described in the following paragraphs.

a. Greenstick. A greenstick fracture is an incomplete fracture in which one side of the bone is broken and the bone is bent.

b. Comminuted. A comminuted fracture is one in which the bone is crushed or splintered into many pieces.

c. Transverse. A transverse fracture is a straight crosswise fracture (break is at a right angle to the axis of the bone).

d. Oblique. An oblique fracture is a diagonal or slanted fracture (not at a right angle to the axis of the bone).

e. Spiral. A spiral fracture coils around the bone and is caused by twisting.

f. Impacted. An impacted fracture results when one bone is driven into another bone, resulting in one or both bones being fractured and the bones being wedged together.

g. Pathologic. A pathologic fracture results when a bone that has been weakened by disease breaks under a force that would not fracture a normal bone.

h. Epiphyseal. An epiphyseal fracture is a fracture located between the expanded end of a long bone (epiphysis) and the shaft of the bone.

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