Which type of fracture involves a broken bone that protrudes through the skin?

Which type of fracture involves a broken bone that protrudes through the skin?

• A. Compound fracture
• B. Simple fracture
• C. Comminuted fracture
• D. Greenstick fracture

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is identifying fractures by whether the skin is broken. When a fracture causes the bone to break through the skin, the wound is open to the environment, creating a higher risk of infection and more soft-tissue damage. This type is commonly called an open fracture (also known as a compound fracture). Because of the skin break and contamination risk, open fractures are treated as more urgent and typically require prompt wound care, antibiotics, tetanus prophylaxis, and surgical stabilization in addition to immobilizing the limb. Other fracture types describe different features but not the skin breach. A simple (closed) fracture has no skin break. A comminuted fracture involves multiple bone fragments but can be open or closed; the distinguishing feature is fragmentation, not skin integrity. A greenstick fracture is an incomplete break with bending, usually in children, and is typically closed. So the presence of the bone protruding through the skin defines the open (compound) fracture.

The key idea here is identifying fractures by whether the skin is broken. When a fracture causes the bone to break through the skin, the wound is open to the environment, creating a higher risk of infection and more soft-tissue damage. This type is commonly called an open fracture (also known as a compound fracture). Because of the skin break and contamination risk, open fractures are treated as more urgent and typically require prompt wound care, antibiotics, tetanus prophylaxis, and surgical stabilization in addition to immobilizing the limb.

Other fracture types describe different features but not the skin breach. A simple (closed) fracture has no skin break. A comminuted fracture involves multiple bone fragments but can be open or closed; the distinguishing feature is fragmentation, not skin integrity. A greenstick fracture is an incomplete break with bending, usually in children, and is typically closed.

So the presence of the bone protruding through the skin defines the open (compound) fracture.