Which fracture is an incomplete fracture in which the bone has not broken into individual pieces?

Which fracture is an incomplete fracture in which the bone has not broken into individual pieces?

• A. Spiral Fracture
• B. Epiphyseal Fracture
• C. Vertebral Compression Fracture
• D. Greenstick Fracture

Answer: (D)

An incomplete fracture means the bone isn’t broken into two separate pieces. A greenstick fracture is the classic example: the bone bends and cracks on one side while the other side remains intact, so there isn’t a full break. This happens more in children because their bones are more flexible, with a pliable cortex and intact periosteum on the opposite side, allowing bending without complete separation. The other patterns involve full breaks or different structures: a spiral fracture results from twisting and splits the bone into multiple pieces; an epiphyseal fracture involves the growth plate at the end of a long bone; a vertebral compression fracture is a collapse of a vertebral body due to axial load. So the description matches a greenstick fracture.

An incomplete fracture means the bone isn’t broken into two separate pieces. A greenstick fracture is the classic example: the bone bends and cracks on one side while the other side remains intact, so there isn’t a full break. This happens more in children because their bones are more flexible, with a pliable cortex and intact periosteum on the opposite side, allowing bending without complete separation. The other patterns involve full breaks or different structures: a spiral fracture results from twisting and splits the bone into multiple pieces; an epiphyseal fracture involves the growth plate at the end of a long bone; a vertebral compression fracture is a collapse of a vertebral body due to axial load. So the description matches a greenstick fracture.