Autumn Term 2017/18 Handout 11
TYPES OF FRACTURES AND RELATED TERMS
LATIN ENGLISH EXPLANATION EXAMPLE
GENERAL TERMS
fractura, ae, f./fractura completa
completus, a, um
lateris dextri
lateris sinistri
lateris utriusque = bilateralis, e
fracture/complete fracture
on the right side
on the left side
bilateral, on both sides
complete break resulting in bone
being separated into two or more
pieces
translated simply as the right one
or the left one
fractura femoris/humeri/malleoli/rami ossis
pubis.....
fractura claviculae compl.
fractura femoris l. dx./l. sin./l. utque(utr.)
fractus, a, um
annus, i, m.
ante annos
inveteratus, a, um
broken
year
years ago
old, not healed properly
adj. digitus minimus pedis fractus
ulna sinistra fracta ante annos
CLASSIFICATION OF FRACTURES ACCORDING TO THE CAUSE
fractura traumatica
traumaticus, a, um
traumatic fracture one caused by trauma, e. g. car
accident
fractura vertebrae thoracicae traumatica
fractura pathologica
fractura spontanea
pathologicus, a, um
spontaneus a, um
pathological fracture
spontaneous fracture
one occurred on a weakened
bone, and thus caused by some
underlying disease, e. g.
osteoporosis
osteoporosis cum fractura pathologica
fractura colli femoris l. sin. spontanea
CLASSIFICATION OF FRACTURES ACCORDING TO SEVERITY OF THE INJURY TO SOFT TISSUES SURROUNDING THE BONE
fractura aperta/complicata
apertus, a, um
complicatus, a, um
open/compound/complicat
ed fracture
bone(s) protrude(s) through the
skin
fractura digiti v. (quinti)manus l. dx.
aperta/complicata
fractura clausa/simplex
clausus, a, um
simplex, cis
closed/simple/uncomplicat
ed fracture
skin remains intact fractura tibiae clausa/simplex
Autumn Term 2017/18 Handout 11
CLASSIFICATION OF FRACTURES ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF FRACTURE LINES
fractura simplex
simplex, cis
simple fracture one fracture line fractura simplex humeri
fracturaa multiplex
multiplex, icis
multiple fracture up to six bone pieces fracturae costarum l. dx. multipl.
fractura comminutiva
comminutivus, a, um
comminuted/crushed
/splintered fracture
the bone is splintered or crushed
into numerous (more than six)
pieces
fract. capitis mandibulae l. sin. comminutiva
classification according to the shape of fracture line
fractura transversa
transversus, a, um
transverse fracture fracture line is straight across the
bone
fractura femoris l. dx. transversa
fractura obliqua
obliquus, a, um
oblique fracture oblique fracture line fractura diaphysis (diaphyseos) humeri dx.
obliqua
fractura spiralis
spiralis, e
spiral fracture fracture line spirals down the
bone
fractura spiralis tibiae l. sin.
fractura longitudinalis
longitudinalis, e
linear fracture fracture line runs parallel to the
long axis of the bone
fractura longitudinalis tibiae l. dx.
fractura compressiva
compressivus, a, um
compression fracture fracture in which the bone
collapses (often caused by
osteoporosis)
fractura compressiva corporis vertebrae c4
fractura impressiva
impressivus, a, um
depressed fracture fracture in which the fragment is
depressed below the normal
surface (mostly skull and
shoulder blade fractures)
fractura impressiva ossis frontalis l. sin.
fractura incuneata
incuneatus, a, um
wedge fracture fracture in which bone fragments
overlap one another (often
caused by osteoporosis, mostly
of vertebrae and necks of
femora)
fractura colli femoris l. dx. incuneata
pathologica
Autumn Term 2017/18 Handout 11
CLASSIFICATION OF FRACTURES ACCORDING TO THE LEVEL OF BONE DEFECT
infractio, onis, f./fractura
partialis/fractura incompleta
incompletus, a, um
partialis, e
partial breakage,
partial/incomplete fracture
partial breakage of bone,
sometimes called a greenstick
fracture
infractio sterni
fractura radicis dentis permanentis incompl.
fractura xxx sine dislocatione
dislocatio, onis, f. (= luxatio, onis,
f.) displacement
fracture of xxx without
displacement (of bone
fragments)
no abnormal position of bone
fragments
fractura calcanei l. dx. sine disloc.
fractura xxx cum dislocatione fracture of xxx with
displacement (of bone
fragments)
abnormal position of bone
fragments
fractura humeri l. sin. cum disloc.
DISLOCATED FRACTURES
fractura cum dislocatione ad axim
axis, is, m.
fracture of xxx with
displacement (of bone
fragments) with angulation
the angle of the bone fragments
is altered
fractura metaphysis dist. radii l. dx. cum disloc
ad axim
fractura cum dislocatione ad latus
latus, eris, n.
Fracture of xxx with
lateral displacement (of
bone fragments)
one of the bone fragments is
moved t the side
fractura femoris l. sin. dislocata ad latus
fractura cum dislocatione ad
peripheriam
peripheria, ae, f.
fracture of xxx with
rotation (of bone
fragments)
one of the bone fragments is
rotated around the bone axis
fractura supracondylica humeri l. sin. cum
disloc. ad periph.
fractura cum dislocatione ad
longitudinem cum
1. distractione
2. contractione
3. implantatione
fracture of xxx with
displacement (of bone
fragments) in the length
with
1. distraction
2. contraction
3. impaction
bone fragments are:
1. moved away from each other
2. moved towards each other
3. driven into each other
fractura claviculae l. utr. cum disloc. ad
longitudinem cum distractione