Closed fracture
Also called: simple fracture
What it means
A closed fracture (also called a simple fracture) is a broken bone where the skin stays intact. There's no open wound connecting the break to the outside air.
Knowing the fracture type helps you understand healing time, infection risk, and what kind of treatment your doctor may recommend.
A closed fracture means the bone has broken but hasn't pierced through the skin. This is different from an open (compound) fracture, where the broken bone breaks the skin surface, creating a wound that touches the bone. Closed fractures are generally considered lower risk for infection since there's no open pathway for bacteria to reach the bone.
Closed fractures can still vary a lot in severity. The bone might have a clean, simple break, or it could be more complex, like a comminuted fracture (broken into several pieces) or a spiral fracture. Swelling, bruising, and deformity at the site are common signs, even though the skin isn't broken.
Treatment depends on which bone is involved, how displaced it is, and the person's overall health. Options range from casting or splinting to surgical fixation with plates, screws, or rods. Any decisions about treatment, including whether surgery is needed, belong to your doctor or orthopedic surgeon based on your specific situation.
A closed fracture keeps skin intact, which shapes healing time, infection risk, and treatment choices.
Where this leads
WordClosed fractures keep the skin intact, but what happens when a break actually pierces through? See why severity changes the stakes as we age.
Related words
A compound (open) fracture is a broken bone that pierces through the skin or is exposed through a wound, unlike a…
A comminuted fracture is a break where the bone shatters into three or more pieces, usually from a strong impact or…
A greenstick fracture is a partial break where the bone bends and cracks on one side but doesn't break all the way…
A spiral fracture is a break that curves around the bone like a corkscrew, usually caused by a twisting force rather…
Fracture healing is the body's natural, staged process of repairing a broken bone, moving from initial bleeding and…
A cast is a rigid plaster or fiberglass covering used to immobilize a broken bone so it can heal in proper alignment.
Education only, not medical advice. Decisions about tests, medications and treatment belong with your own doctor. OsteoStrong does not diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
