greenstick fracture

fracture /frac·ture/ (frak´cher)

1. the breaking of a part, especially a bone.

2. a break or rupture in a bone.

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avulsion fracture  separation of a small fragment of bone cortex at the site of attachment of a ligament or tendon.

axial compression fracture  fracture of a vertebra by excessive vertical force so that pieces of it move out in horizontal directions.

Barton's fracture  fracture of the distal end of the radius into the wrist joint.

Bennett's fracture  fracture of the base of the first metacarpal bone running into the carpometacarpal joint, complicated by subluxation.

blow-out fracture  fracture of the orbital floor caused by a sudden increase of intraorbital pressure due to traumatic force; the orbital contents herniate into the maxillary sinus so that the inferior rectus or inferior oblique muscle may become incarcerated in the fracture site, producing diplopia on looking up.

burst fracture  axial compression f.

capillary fracture  one that appears on a radiogram as a fine, hairlike line, the segments of bone not being separated; sometimes seen in fractures of the skull.

closed fracture  one that does not produce an open wound in the skin; cf. open f.

Colles' fracture  fracture of the lower end of the radius, the lower fragment being displaced backward; if the lower fragment is displaced forward, it is a reverse Colles' fracture.

comminuted fracture  one in which the bone is splintered or crushed.

complete fracture  one involving the entire cross section of the bone.

compound fracture  open f.

depressed fracture , depressed skull fracture fracture of the skull in which a fragment is depressed.

de Quervain's fracture  fracture of the navicular bone together with a volar luxation of the lunate bone.

direct fracture  one at the site of injury.

dislocation fracture  fracture of a bone near an articulation with concomitant dislocation of that joint.

Dupuytren's fracture  Pott's f.

Duverney's fracture  fracture of the ilium just below the anterior inferior spine.

fissure fracture  a crack extending from a surface into, but not through, a long bone.

freeze fracture  see freeze-fracturing.

greenstick fracture  one in which one side of a bone is broken, the other being bent.

hangman's fracture  fracture through the pedicles of the axis (C2) with or without subluxation of the second cervical vertebra or the third.

impacted fracture  one in which one fragment is firmly driven into the other.

incomplete fracture  one which does not entirely destroy the continuity of the bone.

insufficiency fracture  a stress fracture that occurs during normal stress on a bone of abnormally decreased density.

intrauterine fracture  fracture of a fetal bone incurred in utero.

Jefferson's fracture  fracture of the atlas (first cervical vertebra).

lead pipe fracture  one in which the bone cortex is slightly compressed and bulged on one side with a slight crack on the other side of the bone.

Le Fort fracture  bilateral horizontal fracture of the maxilla. Le Fort fractures are classified as follows: Le Fort I f., a horizontal segmented fracture of the alveolar process of the maxilla, in which the teeth are usually contained in the detached portion of the bone. Le Fort II f., unilateral or bilateral fracture of the maxilla, in which the body of the maxilla is separated from the facial skeleton and the separated portion is pyramidal in shape; the fracture may extend through the body of the maxilla down the midline of the hard palate, through the floor of the orbit, and into the nasal cavity. Le Fort III f., a fracture in which the entire maxilla and one or more facial bones are completely separated from the craniofacial skelton; such fractures are almost always accompanied by multiple fractures of the facial bones.

Monteggia's fracture  one in the proximal half of the shaft of the ulna, with dislocation of the head of the radius.

open fracture  one in which a wound through the adjacent or overlying soft tissues communicates with the site of the break.

parry fracture  Monteggia's f.

pathologic fracture  one due to weakening of the bone structure by pathologic processes, such as neoplasia, osteomalacia, or osteomyelitis.

ping-pong fracture  a type of depressed skull fracture usually seen in young children, resembling the indentation that can be produced with the finger in a ping-pong ball; when elevated it resumes and retains its normal position.

Pott's fracture  fracture of the lower part of the fibula, with serious injury of the lower tibial articulation, usually a chipping off of a portion of the medial malleolus, or rupture of the medial ligament.

pyramidal fracture (of maxilla)  Le Fort II f.

sagittal slice fracture  fracture of a vertebra breaking it in an oblong direction; the spinal column above is displaced horizontally, usually causing paraplegia.

silver fork fracture  Colles' f.

simple fracture  closed f.

Smith's fracture  reverse Colles' f.

spiral fracture  one in which the bone has been twisted apart.

spontaneous fracture  pathologic f.

sprain fracture  the separation of a tendon from its insertion, taking with it a piece of bone.

Stieda's fracture  fracture of the internal condyle of the femur.

stress fracture  that caused by unusual or repeated stress on a bone.

transverse facial fracture  Le Fort III f.

transverse maxillary fracture  a term sometimes used for horizontal maxillary fracture (Le Fort I f.).

trophic fracture  one due to nutritional (trophic) disturbance.

wedge-compression fracture  compression fracture of only the anterior part of a vertebra, leaving it wedge-shaped.

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green·stick fracture (grnstk)

n.

A fracture in which one side of the bone is broken and the other side is bent.

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greenstick fracture

Etymology: AS, grene + stician

an incomplete fracture in which the bone is bent but broken only on the outer arc of the bend. Children, especially those with rickets, are particularly likely to have greenstick fractures. Immobilization is usually effective, and healing is rapid. Also called bent fracture, hickory stick fracture. See also fracture.

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fracture,

n a break or rupture of a part. In the oral region, fracture is most often seen in teeth and bones.

fracture, avulsion,

n the loss of a section of bone.

fracture, blow-out,

n a fracture involving the orbital floor, its contents, and the superior wall of the maxillary antrum, in which orbital contents are incarcerated in the fracture area, producing diplopia.

fracture, bulk,

n a fracture or failure in the amalgam of a restoration. An improperly finished restoration by the dental professional, poor cavity design, or improper loading of the restoration can lead to a bulk fracture.

fracture, cementum,

n the tearing of fragments of the cementum from the tooth root.

fracture, clasp,

n failure of a clasp arm because of stresses that have exceeded the elastic limit of the metal from which the arm was made.

fracture, closed reduction of,

n a reduction and fixation of fractured bones without making a surgical opening to the fracture site.

fracture, comminuted,

n a fracture in which the bone has several lines of fracture in the same region; a fracture in which the bone is crushed and splintered.

fracture, compound,

n a fracture in which the bony structures are exposed to an external environment.

fracture, craniofacial dysjunction (transverse facial fracture),

n a complex fracture in which the facial bones are separated from the cranial bones; a LeFort III fracture.

fracture, dislocation,

n a fracture of a bone near an articulation, with dislocation of the condyloid process.

fracture, fissured,

n a fracture that extends partially through a bone, with no displacement of the bony fragments.

fracture fixation,

n the fractured fragments of bone are stabilized in close proximation to promote healing.

fracture, greenstick,

n a fracture in which the bone appears to be bent; usually only one cortex of the bone is broken.

fracture, Guérin's

(gāraz´),
n.pr a LeFort I fracture of the facial bones in which there is a bilateral horizontal fracture of the maxillae.

fracture, impacted,

n a fracture in which one fragment is driven into another portion of the same or an adjacent bone.

fracture, indirect,

n a fracture at a point distant from the primary area of injury caused by secondary forces.

fracture, intraarticular,

n a fracture of the articular surface of the condyloid process of a bone.

fracture, intracapsular,

n a fracture of the condyle of the mandible occurring within the confines of the capsule of the temporomandibular joint.

fracture, LeFort,

n.pr a transverse fracture involving the orbital, malar, and nasal bones.

LeFort classifications.

fracture, midfacial,

n fractures of the zygomatic, maxillary, nasal, and associated bones.

fracture, pyramidal,

n a fracture of the midfacial bones, with the principal fracture lines meeting at an apex in the area of the nasion; a LeFort II fracture.

fracture, root,

n a microscopic or macroscopic cleavage of the root in any direction.

fracture, simple,

n a linear fracture that is not in communication with the exterior.

fracture, stress,

n 1. a type of stress usually occuring from sudden, strong, violent, endogenous force, such as a simple fracture of the fibula in a runner.
2. the fracture of metallic parts as a result of fatigue of prolonged or frequent stress.

Tooth fracture.

fracture, tooth,

n a traumatic injury to a tooth that manifests itself as a chip, crack, or break. Manifestations may also include dislocation or complete displacement of a tooth.

fracture toughness,

n the quality of the material used for brackets that indicates its ability to withstand applied force without cracking.

fracture, transverse facial,

n See fracture, craniofacial dysjunction.

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greenstick fracture

see greenstick fracture.

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greenstick fracture

Orthopedics A partial, angled fracture that causes bone bowing with rupture of the periosteum on the convex side of the bone, ie the opposite cortex is intact, without the fracture line traversing the bone; GFs are more common in rickets