Which fracture occurs when the skin is broken at the fracture site?

Which fracture occurs when the skin is broken at the fracture site?

• A. Open/Compound Fracture
• B. Closed/Simple Fracture
• C. Transverse Fracture
• D. Comminuted Fracture

Answer: (A)

Open fractures happen when the bone breaks and the skin over the fracture site is also broken, creating an open wound. This skin breach distinguishes them from closed fractures, where the skin remains intact. The other terms describe the pattern of the break itself rather than whether the skin is broken: a transverse fracture is a straight break across the bone, and a comminuted fracture means the bone is broken into several pieces. Because an open fracture involves a skin wound, it carries a higher risk of infection and soft-tissue damage and often requires urgent surgical cleaning and antibiotics in addition to immobilization.

Open fractures happen when the bone breaks and the skin over the fracture site is also broken, creating an open wound. This skin breach distinguishes them from closed fractures, where the skin remains intact. The other terms describe the pattern of the break itself rather than whether the skin is broken: a transverse fracture is a straight break across the bone, and a comminuted fracture means the bone is broken into several pieces. Because an open fracture involves a skin wound, it carries a higher risk of infection and soft-tissue damage and often requires urgent surgical cleaning and antibiotics in addition to immobilization.