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closed fracture

closed fracture

1 4.1
A broken bone that does not break the skin
  • noun
  • /kloʊzd ˈfræktʃər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fractura cerrada
  • When a fracture occurs and the bone does not come through the skin that covers the fracture site, it is considered a closed fracture.

Examples

  • - Well, I don't know what it was like when you were in medical school, but by the time I finished my second year, I could set a simple closed fracture with my hands behind my back.

  • After the accident, the X-ray showed a closed fracture of the wrist without any skin damage.

  • 7. Smith sustained a "closed fracture" of his nose, a pair of black eyes, and two lacerations to

    Blog text (5)
  • The most common diagnosis was closed fracture with lower extremity involvement.

    Academic text (2005)
  • A closed fracture to the tibia is more common, whereas an open fracture is thought to be at higher risk for complications.

    Academic text (2007)
  • It is important to note that isolated closed fractures of the femur should not cause an acute drop in the patients' hematocrit.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Ulnar nerve injury rarely complicates closed fractures of the shaft of the forearm.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Ulnar nerve injury rarely complicates closed fracture of the shaft of the forearm, and only 7 cases, excluding the current one, have been reported in the literature so far.

    Academic text (2007)
  • In general, closed fractures of both the tibia and the fibula in children have fewer complications, heal faster, and have less morbidity than those in adults (Buckley, 2002).

    Academic text (2006)
  • A closed fracture occurs when the bone is broken but does not penetrate the skin.

Synonyms

simple fracture
vsclosed fracture
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A broken bone that does not cut the skin or badly damage nearby tissue

is limited to the bone not breaking through the skin rather than tissue damage

Antonyms

open fracture
  • Specialized
3 5.4

A broken bone that sticks out through a cut in the skin

How Severe

open fracture
  • Specialized
3 5.4
closed fracture
  • Specialized
1 4.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

closed + fracture

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'closed' (not open) + 'fracture' (a break), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer this refers to a bone break that does not penetrate the skin. The adjective+noun pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically common in medical descriptions, making the term immediately comprehensible from its parts.

Etymology

The noun closed fracture names a fracture, a break in a bone, where the skin stays closed. Imagine a broken stick inside a tight sleeve: the stick is snapped but the sleeve is not torn, so the term means 'a broken bone that does not break the skin'.