What is an occult fracture?

An occult fracture is a condition with all medical signs of fracture, which cannot be detected radiographically. Such a break can be detected by radiographic examination only several weeks after the injury. The injured person usually feel a great deal of pain. Also, an occult fracture can produce soft tissue edema. A suspected occult fracture is usually confirmed by means of magnetic resonance and a bone scan.

A condition in which there are clinical signs of fracture but no radiologic evidence; after 3-4 weeks, radiologic imaging shows new bone formation.

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16 Comments

Wendy Petty

So the fracture is intact and not separated as per another answer. Two answers could be correct.

Jennifer Dyster

Nah . It's a broken bone on a ghost

fdeisner

Wendy Petty, clinical signs of fracture but no radiologic evidence would most likely be a better answer as intact and not separated would most likely show up on an X-ray.

Kathryn Cavanagh

Shell Levy, IF I remember my nursing learning, a greenstick fracture is not a complete break. think of taking a green stick of timber, it will bend but not break. That is a greenstick fracture of bone, it has "bent" but not broken in the expected fashion.!

Kathryn Cavanagh

Kevin Somerville Weir, knowing that myself lead me to the correct answer.!!! As it did, no doubt, a few other people.!!!

Gary Chadwick

Knew one of the meanings for occult is hidden, so that option seemed too be the best

Pierre Poirier

Seemed pretty obvious what the right answer is

Rob Farr

An excellent anatomy/medical trivia question and explanation ... I had one on my ankle when I was about 9 years old ...

Kevin Somerville Weir

Might be useful to mention that "occultus" is Latin for "hidden".

Albeck1994

I had one of these 40 years ago as a kid. Have just had surgery to repair it after I rebroke the fragments last year

Albeck1994

No a greenstick fracture is where the bone splits, similar to a fresh twig

Belgasem Goma

Smilar condition called march fr. common in millitary sevice result from prolonged walking and complains of pain and swelling of foot and after about 3 weeks x-ray will show new bone formation around affected bone.