What is the medical term for a broken bone?

• A. Osteoarthritis
• B. Fracture
• C. Hip Replacement
• D. Inflammation

Answer: (B)

The term for a break in a bone is fracture. A fracture means the bone’s continuity is disrupted and can range from a small crack to a complete break with the bone ends misaligned. It can be closed (skin over the fracture intact) or open (skin broken), and it may be displaced or nondisplaced. In kids, you’ll sometimes see a greenstick fracture, where the bone bends and cracks but doesn’t break all the way through. Other terms don’t describe the injury itself: osteoarthritis is joint degeneration, a hip replacement is a surgical prosthesis, and inflammation is the body’s response that can accompany injury but isn’t the break itself.