Which fracture pattern is produced by a rotational force?

Which fracture pattern is produced by a rotational force?

• A. Spiral
• B. Greenstick
• C. Oblique
• D. Stress

Answer: (A)

A twisting or rotational force on a long bone creates a spiral fracture pattern. When the bone twists while one end is relatively fixed, the fracture line winds around the shaft in a helical fashion, giving that characteristic spiral appearance. This contrasts with oblique fractures, which arise from a force at an angle across the bone, greenstick fractures, which result from bending in children with incomplete cortical failure, and stress fractures, which come from repetitive microtrauma over time rather than a single rotational blow.

A twisting or rotational force on a long bone creates a spiral fracture pattern. When the bone twists while one end is relatively fixed, the fracture line winds around the shaft in a helical fashion, giving that characteristic spiral appearance. This contrasts with oblique fractures, which arise from a force at an angle across the bone, greenstick fractures, which result from bending in children with incomplete cortical failure, and stress fractures, which come from repetitive microtrauma over time rather than a single rotational blow.