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

bilateralis, e bilateral, on both sides

fracture/complete fracture

complete break resulting in bone being separated into two or more pieces

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. year

ante annos   years ago

inveteratus, a, um   old, not healed properly

broken

adj.

Digitus minimus pedis fractus


Ulna sinistra fracta ante annos

Classification of fractures by the cause

fractura traumatica

traumaticus, a, um

traumatic fracture

one caused by trauma, e. g. car accident

Fractura vertebrae thoracicae traumatica


fractura pathologica/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 by severity of the injury to soft tissues surrounding the bone

fractura aperta/complicata

apertus, a, um

complicatus, a, um

open/compound/complicated 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/uncomplicated fracture

skin remains intact

Fractura tibiae clausa/simplex


Classification of fractures by the number of fracture lines

fractura simplex

simplex, cis

simple fracture

one fracture line

Fractura simplex humeri

fracturae multiplices

multiplex, icis

multiple fractures

up to six fracture lines/bone pieces

Fracturae costarum l. dx. multipl.

fractura comminutiva

comminutivus, a, um

comminuted fracture

the bone is splintered or crushed into numerous (more than six) pieces

Fract. capitis mandibulae l. sin. comminutiva

Classification by the contour of the fraction 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
vertebras and necks of femurs)

Fractura colli femoris l. dx. incuneata pathologica

Classification of fractures by 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.

fractura xxx cum dislocatione ad axim

axis, is, m.

fracture of xxx with displacement (of bone fragments) with angulation



fractura xxx cum dislocatione ad latus

latus, eris, n.

fracture of xxx with lateral displacement (of bone fragments)



fractura xxx cum dislocatione ad longitudinem cum



1. distractione

2. contractione

3. implantatione


longitudo, dinis, f.      length

distractio, onis, f.       distraction

contractio, onis, f.     contraction

implantatio, onis, f.   implantation,                               impaction

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