This is a basic article for medical students and other non-radiologists
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.
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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
- the 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 oriented obliquely across the bone
- spiral: a fracture that looks like a spiral staircase
- comminuted: a fracture in more than two bits
- the fracture extends right the way across the bone
-
incomplete
- fracture does not cross the bone completely
- predominantly occur in children
- not all childhood fractures are incomplete
- many children present with complete fractures
- predominantly occur in children
- types
- bowing: bowing of a long tubular bone
- buckle: the cortex is buckled, often in the distal radius
- greenstick: the cortex is broken, but only on one side
- fracture does not cross the bone completely
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