Question

Jane age 64 comes in for a visit. She has a cast on her right arm and tells you that she has a comminuted fx of her radius. When she asks what that means, you tell her that in a comminuted fx the:

A. Bony fragments are in many pieces
B. Broken ends of the bone protrude through the soft tissue and skin
C. Bone breaks cleanly but does not penetrate the skin
D. Bone is crushed

Answer 1

A comminuted fracture refers to a bone that is broken into several pieces, which often requires surgical intervention to stabilize and properly heal.

Step-by-step explanation:

A comminuted fracture, as experienced by Jane who is 64 years old, means that her radius bone is broken into several pieces. This is a type of fracture where the bone has suffered enough impact to break into multiple fragments, which can complicate the healing process. Unlike an open fracture where the bone ends protrude through the skin, or a closed fracture where the bone breaks cleanly without piercing the skin, a comminuted fracture requires specialized medical treatment which may include surgical intervention with metal plates and screws to stabilize the bone fragments and facilitate proper healing.