In a closed fracture, what is true about the skin?

In a closed fracture, what is true about the skin?

• A. The skin is usually broken
• B. There is often an open wound
• C. The skin remains intact
• D. The skin always bleeds heavily

Answer: (C)

In a closed fracture the bone is broken but the skin is not breached, so the skin remains intact. This distinction is what separates closed fractures from open fractures, where bone or tissue is exposed through a wound. External bleeding isn’t a defining feature of a closed fracture; there may be swelling and tenderness, and any bleeding would come from surrounding soft tissue rather than an open skin wound. So the statement that the skin remains intact best captures what a closed fracture involves.

In a closed fracture the bone is broken but the skin is not breached, so the skin remains intact. This distinction is what separates closed fractures from open fractures, where bone or tissue is exposed through a wound. External bleeding isn’t a defining feature of a closed fracture; there may be swelling and tenderness, and any bleeding would come from surrounding soft tissue rather than an open skin wound. So the statement that the skin remains intact best captures what a closed fracture involves.