Which fracture is commonly associated with twisting injuries and produces a helical fracture line around the bone?

Which fracture is commonly associated with twisting injuries and produces a helical fracture line around the bone?

• A. Spiral fracture
• B. Oblique fracture
• C. Longitudinal fracture
• D. Transverse fracture

Answer: (A)

Twisting forces, or torsion, cause the bone to fail along a path that winds around its shaft. The fracture line follows the rotation of the fractured pieces, creating a spiral, or helical, pattern around the bone. This is why a spiral fracture is the classic result of a twisting injury. In contrast, an oblique fracture runs at an angle across the bone but doesn’t encircle it; a transverse fracture is a straight across break; a longitudinal fracture runs along the length of the bone.

Twisting forces, or torsion, cause the bone to fail along a path that winds around its shaft. The fracture line follows the rotation of the fractured pieces, creating a spiral, or helical, pattern around the bone. This is why a spiral fracture is the classic result of a twisting injury. In contrast, an oblique fracture runs at an angle across the bone but doesn’t encircle it; a transverse fracture is a straight across break; a longitudinal fracture runs along the length of the bone.