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

broken

adj.

·  Digitus minimus pedis fractus

·  Ulna sinistra fracta ante annos

Classification of fractures by the cause

fractura traumatica

traumaticus, a, um

traumatic fracture

caused by trauma, e. g. car accident

·  Fractura vertebrae thoracicae traumatica


fractura pathologica/spontanea

pathologicus, a, um

spontaneus, a, um

pathological fracture

spontaneous fracture

occurs 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, cis

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 (> 6) 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

slanted 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

bone (especially short bone) collapses

·  Fractura compressiva corporis vertebrae

fractura impressiva

impressivus, a, um

depressed fracture

bone is pushed in (esp. skull and shoulder blade fractures)

·  Fractura impressiva ossis frontalis l. sin.

fractura incuneata

overriding fracture

bone fragments overlap one another

·  Fractura femoris incuneata

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.  displacement

no displacement (of bone fragments)

no abnormal position of bone fragments

·  Fractura calcanei l. dx. sine disloc.

fractura xxx cum dislocatione

displacement (of bone fragments)

abnormal position of bone fragments

·  Fractura humeri l. sin. cum disloc.

fractura xxx cum dislocatione ad axim

axis, is, m.

displacement (of bone fragments) with angulation



fractura xxx cum dislocatione ad latus

latus, eris, n.

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.  impaction

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