| skull fracture | <orthopaedics> A injury to the cranium with sufficient force to fracture one of the bones with comprise the skull. The temporal bone is the most often fractured. See: head injury. (27 Sep 1997) |
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| Smith's fracture | <orthopaedics> A fracture of the radius at the wrist that results in volar (palmar) angulation of the distal fracture fragment, opposite the Colles fracture. (27 Sep 1997) |
| spine fracture | A break in the bony cortex of the vertebrae. Spine fractures must be assessed as stable or unstable. Unstable spine fractures pose a risk of spinal cord injury due to abnormal movement at the fracture site. (27 Sep 1997) |
| spiral fracture | A fracture the line of which is helical in the bone. (05 Mar 2000) |
| splintered fracture | A comminuted fracture in which the fragments are long and sharp-pointed. (05 Mar 2000) |
| spontaneous fracture | A fracture occurring without any external injury. (05 Mar 2000) |
| sprain fracture | An avulsion fracture in which a small portion of adjacent bone has been pulled or pushed off. (05 Mar 2000) |
| stable fracture | A fracture that does not tend to displace once it has been reduced and immobilised. (05 Mar 2000) |
| navicular fracture | <orthopaedics> A fracture of the scaphoid (navicular) bone in the wrist. The most common method of injury is a fall on an outstretched hand in an adult. In children, this same type of fall more commonly results in a Colles fracture. (27 Sep 1997) |
| stellate fracture | A fracture in which the lines of break radiate from a central point. (05 Mar 2000) |
| stellate skull fracture | A skull fracture with multiple linear fractures radiating from the site of impact. (05 Mar 2000) |
| neurogenic fracture | A fracture in bone weakened by disease of the nerve supply. (05 Mar 2000) |
| strain fracture | The tearing off, by a sudden force, of a piece of bone attached to a tendon, ligament, or capsule; the force may be exogenous or endogenous. (05 Mar 2000) |
| stress fracture | <orthopaedics, radiology> A hairline or microscopic break in the bone that is not demonstrable with conventional X-rays. Symptoms include a dull aching pain with tenderness at the site. Symptoms often increase with activity and diminish with rest. Nuclear bone scanning will reliably demonstrate stress fractures where conventional radiographs often fail. Although they may occur in most any location, they are most common in the tibia, fibula and metatarsal bones. (27 Sep 1997) |
| nightstick fracture | <orthopaedics> A fracture of the ulna. Named because of the injury that results when attempting to block the downward blow of a nightstick with the raised forearm. (27 Sep 1997) |