Which describes an open (compound) fracture?

Which describes an open (compound) fracture?

• A. The skin remains intact
• B. The skin is broken
• C. The bone is crushed
• D. The bone is dislocated

Answer: (B)

Open fracture means the broken bone communicates with the outside world through a wound, so the skin is broken. That skin breach is what makes it open (compound) and it carries a higher risk of infection and soft-tissue damage. In contrast, a closed fracture has skin intact. The situation where the bone is crushed describes the pattern of the break but doesn’t by itself indicate whether the skin is breached. A dislocation involves a joint being out of place rather than a bone breaking with an open wound. Because the skin is broken, this type of fracture requires prompt wound care, immobilization, tetanus and antibiotic considerations, and urgent surgical evaluation for debridement and stabilization.

Open fracture means the broken bone communicates with the outside world through a wound, so the skin is broken. That skin breach is what makes it open (compound) and it carries a higher risk of infection and soft-tissue damage. In contrast, a closed fracture has skin intact. The situation where the bone is crushed describes the pattern of the break but doesn’t by itself indicate whether the skin is breached. A dislocation involves a joint being out of place rather than a bone breaking with an open wound. Because the skin is broken, this type of fracture requires prompt wound care, immobilization, tetanus and antibiotic considerations, and urgent surgical evaluation for debridement and stabilization.