An open fracture is also known as what?

• A. Simple fracture
• B. Compound fracture
• C. Hairline fracture
• D. Stress fracture

Answer: (B)

An open fracture is also called a compound fracture. This means the skin over the fracture is broken, and the bone may be exposed or a wound communicates with the fracture site. The key idea is that the fracture has a skin opening that can let dirt and bacteria into the wound, increasing infection risk.

This contrasts with a closed (simple) fracture, where the skin remains intact. Hairline fractures are tiny cracks that may or may not involve a complete break and usually don’t involve bone exposure, while a stress fracture results from repetitive overuse and also does not create an external wound.