Complete fractures
Toddler who
was kicked in the legs by a playmate. AP (left) and lateral (right) radiographs of the lower extremity show a mildly displaced complete fracture of the tibial diaphysis and a moderately bowed appearance of the fibula.The diagnosis was a complete fracture of the tibial diaphysis and bowing fracture of the fibula.
School ager
injured in an accident inside a grain silo. AP radiograph of the right femur (left) shows a complete fracture of the femur. AP radiograph of the right tibia and fibula (right) shows the tibia and fibula to be bowed in appearance.The diagnosis was bowing fractures of the tibia and fibula and complete fracture of the femur.
Complete fractures are fractures where the parts of the bone that have been fractured are completely separated from each other. There is complete separation of the cortex circumferentially.
Complete fractures can be classified as:
- transverse: straight across the bone
- oblique: oblique line across the bone
- spiral: looks like a cork-screw
- longitudinal: along the long-axis of the bone
- comminuted: more than 2 parts to the fracture
