Which description best defines a comminuted fracture?

Which description best defines a comminuted fracture?

• A. A bone broken into small pieces
• B. A bone with multiple distinct fractures
• C. An incomplete fracture
• D. A bone break that penetrates the skin

Answer: (A)

A comminuted fracture is when the bone is broken into multiple pieces, typically three or more fragments. That fragmentation into several fragments is the defining feature, reflecting a high-energy injury that shatters the bone rather than producing a single clean break. An incomplete fracture describes a bone that hasn’t broken all the way through (like a greenstick fracture), and an open fracture involves the bone breaking through the skin. So describing the bone as broken into small pieces best captures the essence of a comminuted fracture.

A comminuted fracture is when the bone is broken into multiple pieces, typically three or more fragments. That fragmentation into several fragments is the defining feature, reflecting a high-energy injury that shatters the bone rather than producing a single clean break. An incomplete fracture describes a bone that hasn’t broken all the way through (like a greenstick fracture), and an open fracture involves the bone breaking through the skin. So describing the bone as broken into small pieces best captures the essence of a comminuted fracture.