Which describes a compound fracture?

• A. Bone broken and extends past skin
• B. Bone breaks but skin remains intact
• C. Hairline fracture
• D. Fracture where bone ends misaligned

Answer: (A)

This focuses on open fractures, where the broken bone pierces the skin and creates an open wound. Describing the bone as broken and extending past the skin matches the open (compound) fracture pattern, which carries a higher risk of infection and requires urgent medical care.

In contrast, a closed fracture has skin intact, a hairline fracture is a small crack, and a fracture with misaligned ends refers to displacement but doesn’t specify whether the skin is breached. If you encounter this injury, protect the wound with a sterile dressing, immobilize the limb without pushing the bone back, control bleeding, and seek emergency care.