Open Fracture
/ˌəʊ.pən ˈfræk.tʃər/noun
A bone fracture in which the broken bone communicates with or pierces through an open wound in the skin.
Did you know?Fracture ultimately comes from Latin frangere, “to break,” a root also linked to words describing fragility, fragments, and violation of boundaries.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhreg-
“To break, fracture, or crush”
Ancient Greek
Greek
rhēgnynai
“To break or burst; a related Indo-European development”
Classical Latin
Latin
frangere
“To break or shatter”
Classical Latin
Latin
fractura
“A breaking or fracture”
Old English
Old English
open
“Not closed, covered, or shut; exposed”
14th Century
Middle English
fracture
“A breaking or break, especially of a bone”
Modern English
English
open fracture
“A bone break associated with an open wound or exposure to the outside”