Fracture types (summary)

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Determining fracture type is really important when looking at a fracture and trying to describe it. Fractures can broadly be split into complete and incomplete fractures.

Reference article

This is a summary article. For more information, you can read a more in-depth reference articles: complete fractures; incomplete fractures.

Summary

Fractures can be split into complete and incomplete fractures depending on whether the fracture extends all the way through the bone (complete) or only involves a portion of the cortex:

complete
- fracture extends right the way across the bone
  - almost all fractures in adults are complete
- types
  - transverse: a fracture perpendicular to the axis of the bone
  - oblique: a fracture orientated obliquely across the bone
  - spiral: a fracture caused that looks like a spiral staircase
  - comminuted: a fracture in more than two bits
incomplete
- fracture does not cross the bone completely
  - predominantly occur in children
    - not all childhood fractures are incomplete
    - many children present with complete fractures
- types
  - buckle: the cortex is buckled, often in the distal radius
  - greenstick: the cortex is broken, but only on one side

-<p>Determining <strong>fracture type</strong> is really important when looking at a fracture and trying to describe it. Fractures can broadly be split into complete and incomplete fractures.</p><h4>Reference article</h4><p>This is a <a href="/articles/summary-article">summary article</a>. For more information, you can read a more in-depth reference articles: <a title="Complete fractures" href="/articles/complete-fractures">complete fractures</a>; <a title="Incomplete fractures" href="/articles/incomplete-fractures-1">incomplete fractures</a>.</p><h4>Summary</h4><p>Fractures can be split into complete and incomplete fractures depending on whether the fracture extends all the way through the bone (complete) or only involves a portion of the cortex:</p><ul>
+<p>Determining <strong>fracture type</strong> is really important when looking at a fracture and trying to describe it. Fractures can broadly be split into complete and incomplete fractures.</p><h4>Reference article</h4><p>This is a <a href="/articles/summary-article">summary article</a>. For more information, you can read a more in-depth reference articles: <a href="/articles/complete-fractures">complete fractures</a>; <a href="/articles/incomplete-fractures-1">incomplete fractures</a>.</p><h4>Summary</h4><p>Fractures can be split into complete and incomplete fractures depending on whether the fracture extends all the way through the bone (complete) or only involves a portion of the cortex:</p><ul>

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