What is Compound Fracture?
Updated January 24, 2026
A severe bone break where the broken bone pierces through the skin, creating an open wound and high risk of infection.
Understanding Compound Fracture
Also called open fractures, these injuries require emergency surgery to clean the wound, realign the bone, and often install hardware. Recovery is longer than closed fractures due to infection risk and soft tissue damage. Multiple surgeries may be needed.
Examples
- 1Leg bone protruding after pedestrian accident
- 2Open arm fracture from motorcycle crash
- 3Severe bone break requiring emergency surgery
Related Terms
Fracture
A break or crack in a bone, ranging from hairline fractures to complete breaks requiring surgical repair with plates, screws, or rods.
Whiplash
A neck injury caused by a sudden back-and-forth movement of the head, commonly occurring in rear-end car accidents.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
A disruption in normal brain function caused by a bump, blow, jolt to the head, or penetrating head injury, ranging from mild concussions to severe permanent damage.
Concussion
A mild traumatic brain injury caused by a blow or jolt to the head that temporarily affects brain function, causing symptoms like headache, confusion, and memory problems.
Soft Tissue Injury
Damage to muscles, ligaments, tendons, or other connective tissues, often caused by trauma, overuse, or sudden movements like those in car accidents.
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