Which term describes a fracture where the bone ends are out of alignment?

Which term describes a fracture where the bone ends are out of alignment?

• A. Open/Compound
• B. Non-displaced
• C. Partial?
• D. Displaced

Answer: (D)

Fracture alignment is what this item tests. When bone ends are out of their normal position, the fracture is displaced—the fragments have shifted relative to each other, which may include angulation, overriding, or separation. This contrasts with a non-displaced fracture, where the pieces stay in proper alignment. Open/compound describes a skin break with bone exposure, not how the fragments line up, and partial isn’t used to describe displacement (incomplete patterns like greenstick exist, but the key idea here is whether the ends are aligned).

Fracture alignment is what this item tests. When bone ends are out of their normal position, the fracture is displaced—the fragments have shifted relative to each other, which may include angulation, overriding, or separation. This contrasts with a non-displaced fracture, where the pieces stay in proper alignment. Open/compound describes a skin break with bone exposure, not how the fragments line up, and partial isn’t used to describe displacement (incomplete patterns like greenstick exist, but the key idea here is whether the ends are aligned).