As a patient, you have the right to use to fully understand both your diagnosis and treatment options. To do so, you would be well served to understand the terminology used to describe a fracture.
Diaphyseal: the shaft (center) of the boneMetaphyseal: located toward one end of the bone but not at the jointPeri-articular: located on the joint surface at the end of the boneIntra-articular: a fracture which extends into the joint through the cartilageProximal: located closer to the center of the body at the upper end of the boneDistal: located further from the center of the body at the far end of the bone
Non-displaced: where the bone is fractured but in perfect alignmentMinimally displaced: where there is a slight shift in the position, usually not significantDisplaced: where the bone has significantly shifted, the degree of which is described in percentagesDepression: an intra-articular (joint) fracture which has been pushed out of alignment with the boneAngulated: the angle by which the bones are misaligned, again described in degreesShortening: an effect caused when the surrounding muscles pull the bone ends together tightly, literally shortening the bone
Comminution: A break or splinter of the bone into more than two fragments (colloquially referred to as a “shattered” bone). Segmental: A bone break in which several large fragments separate from the main body of the bone.
Osteopenia: a condition in which the body doesn’t make new bone as quickly as it reabsorbs old bone. If left untreated, oseopenia can lead to osteoporosis Cystic: characterized by the formation of cysts as can happen with bone cancer and certain non-cancerous infections Lesion: an unspecified abnormality which may be caused by bone damage or simply a past bone injury
Fracture Callous: new bone growth around a break considered a good sign that the bone fragments are reunitingConsolidation: another term used to describe the normal process of bone repair due to remodelingDelayed-union on Nonunion: when the broken bone is not healing properly due to poor circulation, infection, inadequate stabilization, or other causes
