How Fractures Are Described: By the Relationship of One Fracture Fragment to Another

One of the key radiologic descriptors of fracture fragments involves appropriately describing the relationship between one fracture fragment to another. The fracture relationship is described by the relationship of the distal fracture fragment to the proximal fracture fragment. The four main descriptors for the relationship of the fracture fragments are displacement, shortening, angulation, and rotation. The questions in this chapter will guide the reader to understanding the appropriate use of verbiage for describing the relationship of fracture fragments to one another.