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What Is a Displaced Fracture?

K.C. Bruning
K.C. Bruning

A bone has a displaced fracture when it breaks in two or more pieces and is no longer correctly aligned. This type of fracture tends to be more painful and can often lead to other kinds of damage in the body from the bone edge. Due to the position of the bone, which causes a bulge or break in the skin, a fracture of this kind can usually be diagnosed without an x-ray.

There are a few different types of displaced fractures. With a rotated fracture, the bone will break and one piece will turn around, but otherwise remain in the correct place. In the case of an angulated fracture, the bone will remain in essentially the right position, but one broken piece will tip either up or down. With an axially-displaced fracture a broken piece of bone will shift straight away from the rest of the bone.

A displaced fracture may be diagnosed without an x-ray.
A displaced fracture may be diagnosed without an x-ray.

Once the fracture has been diagnosed, the bone must be reset. In some cases, it may be necessary to use pins and wires to hold the bone in the proper position. Depending on the severity of the break, this may be done surgically. A fracture may also require surgery in order to give doctors access to set the bone. Once the bone is properly set, the body can begin to fuse it back together again.

A displaced fracture may require surgery, after which the bone is set in a cast.
A displaced fracture may require surgery, after which the bone is set in a cast.

There is a higher risk of other injuries with a displaced fracture. The broken portion of the bone can cause additional damage to the rest of the broken bone or other bones nearby. It can also cause damaged tissue, nerves, and blood vessels. All of these factors are considered when determining the severity of a fracture.

A displaced fracture may also lead to an open fracture, which is when the sharp part of the broken bone pierces the skin. The bone can either remain sticking outside of the skin, or break through and then slip back inside the body. This is opposed to a closed fracture, where the skin remains intact. In the case of an open fracture there is a higher chance of deep bone infection. For this reason, surgery is often required in order to ensure that the bone heals correctly.

Displaced fractures may occur in sports when athletes aren't allowed to properly heal from an injury.
Displaced fractures may occur in sports when athletes aren't allowed to properly heal from an injury.

When a bone has a non-displaced fracture, it remains in correct alignment. While it can be broken in two as with a displaced fracture, the bone may also be simply cracked. With this kind of fracture, it is often only necessary that the patient wear a splint or cast for several weeks while the bone heals. Surgery, pins, or wire are rarely needed.

Discussion Comments

Lostnfound

@Grivusangel -- Ouch! That's pretty serious. I think displacement must be more common in lower body fractures, since people often get them from falls.

Fortunately, the one broken bone I've had was a simple fracture to my collarbone. I had to wear this sling-looking apparatus, but it healed with no complications. I was in a wreck. It really, really hurt, but it didn't affect my daily life as much as another kind of fracture in another location would have.

Grivusangel

My sister fell and broke her ankle, and had to have surgery on it. Her surgeon said it looked like a football injury, it was so severe. Her ankle was not only, displaced, but was also dislocated!

Her doctor was great and he did a good job in putting the pieces back together. She was in a cast and on a walker for four weeks, then in a walking cast four weeks, and then in an air cast for three weeks. Unfortunately, she didn't keep up with her physical therapy exercises, and now has trouble with the ankle getting stiff and swelling.

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    • A displaced fracture may be diagnosed without an x-ray.
      By: Photographee.eu
      A displaced fracture may be diagnosed without an x-ray.
    • A displaced fracture may require surgery, after which the bone is set in a cast.
      By: kameel
      A displaced fracture may require surgery, after which the bone is set in a cast.
    • Displaced fractures may occur in sports when athletes aren't allowed to properly heal from an injury.
      By: guerrieroale
      Displaced fractures may occur in sports when athletes aren't allowed to properly heal from an injury.
    • Displaced fractures often require extensive physical therapy to regain strength and mobility.
      By: Fotoluminate LLC
      Displaced fractures often require extensive physical therapy to regain strength and mobility.
    • The broken portion of a bone may cause additional damage to the rest of the bone or nearby bones.
      By: stockdevil
      The broken portion of a bone may cause additional damage to the rest of the bone or nearby bones.