This is a basic article for medical students and other non-radiologists
Fracture description allows an individual to accurately determine fracture type and communicate important information to colleagues without the use of the radiograph. Practicing fracture description is important and using a systematic approach may make this process less stressful.
Summary
This summary approach suggests that you have found a fracture!
- describe the film
- what type of radiograph are you looking at?
- what views have you got to look at?
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fracture type
- first thing to mention when describing a fracture
- complete (transverse, oblique, spiral, comminuted)
- incomplete (buckle, greenstick)
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fracture location
- what bone
- part of the bone (epiphysis, metaphysis, diaphysis, apophysis)
- some bones have specific named parts, e.g. neck of femur
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fracture displacement
- is the bone offset, or pointing in the wrong direction
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fracture complications
- evidence of compound fracture (through the skin)
- does the fracture enter the joint
- is there another fracture (e.g. in paired bones)
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