Authors: H Earle Conwell Otto Aufranc
Publish Date: 1965/01/11
Volume: 191, Issue: 2, Pages: 144-144
Abstract
To the Editor— In many instances and for years I have emphasized what misnomers the terms simple and compound fractures are especially when one realizes that a simple fracture can be accompanied by the most complicated pathology in surrounding tissues and can be more severe in many instances than the socalled compound fracture In my opinion the presentlyused terms should be supplanted by the following 1 closed fracture in many instances complex closed fracture and 2 open fracture Simple fracture does not define the injury to the soft tissues the intramuscular hemorrhage or the loss of sensation of the parts of the tissue close to the fracture area Neither does it emphasize the possible marked displacement of bone fragments Too frequently if all these exist with no open wound the term simple fracture is used I believe it is important that we classify as complex closed fractures those which do
Keywords: