What is a compound fracture?

What is a compound fracture?

• A. The bone is broken but skin remains intact
• B. The bone is broken and extends past the skin
• C. It is a simple fracture with no skin disruption
• D. It only involves the soft tissue

Answer: (B)

Open fractures, also called compound fractures, occur when a broken bone breaks through the skin, creating an open wound and exposing the bone to the outside environment. This is exactly what the described option conveys—the bone is broken and extends past the skin. That open exposure differentiates it from a closed fracture, where the skin remains intact. The other descriptions imply injuries where the skin isn’t breached or that only soft tissue is involved, which would not be an open fracture. Because the skin is broken, there’s a higher risk of infection and damage to surrounding tissues, so urgent medical care is needed with wound cleaning, antibiotics, and proper stabilization.

Open fractures, also called compound fractures, occur when a broken bone breaks through the skin, creating an open wound and exposing the bone to the outside environment. This is exactly what the described option conveys—the bone is broken and extends past the skin. That open exposure differentiates it from a closed fracture, where the skin remains intact. The other descriptions imply injuries where the skin isn’t breached or that only soft tissue is involved, which would not be an open fracture. Because the skin is broken, there’s a higher risk of infection and damage to surrounding tissues, so urgent medical care is needed with wound cleaning, antibiotics, and proper stabilization.