greenstick fracture
1
4.8
- noun
- /ˈɡriːnˌstɪk ˈfræktʃər/
- Specialized
:
fractura en verde
- The medial cortex of the proximal tibia fails in tension, often resulting in an incomplete or greenstick fracture.
Examples
-
A force applied to the side of a long bone may disrupt one cortex while merely bending the other to produce a greenstick fracture.
Academic text (2006) -
An angulatory force may cause tension failure on the convex side of the bend and merely cause bending on the concave side of the greenstick fracture (see Figure 3).
Academic text (2002) -
A greenstick fracture is common in children, where the bone bends but doesn't break completely.
-
Doctors advised that his young son might have a greenstick fracture after he fell from the swing.
-
She was relieved to find out her daughter only had a greenstick fracture and that it would heal quickly.
Synonyms
1
7.7
An incomplete break in a bone where it bends and cracks without breaking through
A crack in a bone that does not go all the way through
Antonyms
- Specialized
A break in a bone that goes all the way through and separates it into two or more pieces
How Complete
- Specialized
6
6.0
- Specialized
- Specialized
1
4.8
9
5.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'greenstick' denotes a specific partial bending/crack and 'fracture' means a break, so the compound simply names a type of fracture where the bone bends and cracks on one side. Although it's a medical term, the adjective+noun composition is fully compositional and the overall meaning is directly derivable for learners who know both constituents.
Etymology
Greenstick fracture comes from the image of a fresh green twig that bends and cracks on one side without breaking all the way, and the words green and stick help you picture that. That's why the name means a bone, often in children, that 'bends and cracks' on one side instead of 'breaking completely'.