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compound fracture

American  

noun

  1. a fracture in which the broken bone is exposed through a wound in the skin.


compound fracture British  

noun

  1. a fracture in which the broken bone either pierces the skin or communicates with an open wound

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of compound fracture

First recorded in 1535–45

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Twenty-eight years on from the injury which saw him suffer compound fractures to both the tibia and fibula, the scars on Busst's leg are a visible reminder of the awful events of 8 April 1996.

From BBC

Medi-Cal covers those complications just as it would pneumonia or a compound fracture.

From Los Angeles Times

Lazio said he had a "sprain trauma of the spine" and a "compound fracture" of his right rib but that "conditions are currently good".

From BBC

Six months earlier Tamara had been badly injured in an air raid with a compound fracture to her left leg, which left her with a permanent limp.

From Literature

As well as cardiac arrests and strokes, these categories also include heart attacks, serious burns, and compound fractures, he said.

From BBC