Salter-Harris fracture classification (mnemonic)

Last revised by Leonardo Lustosa on 17 Feb 2022

Useful mnemonics for remembering the Salter-Harris classification system are:

  • SALTR
  • SMACK
  • SMETI

Fortunately, this is also the order of prognosis (from best to worse)

Mnemonics

SALTR
  • S: slipped (type I)
  • A: above or away from joint (type II)
  • L: lower (type III)
  • T: through or transverse or together (type IV)
  • R: ruined or rammed (type V)
SMACK
  • S: slipped (type I)
  • M: metaphyseal (type II)
  • A: articular-epiphyseal (type III)
  • C: complete-metaphysis and epiphysis (type IV)
  • K: krushed! (type V)
SMETI
  • S: slipped (type I)
  • M: metaphyseal (type II)
  • E: epiphyseal (type III)
  • T: through or transverse or together (type IV)
  • I: impacted (type V)