Start your One-Week Free Trial
Already subscribed? Log in »
Oblique vs Spiral Fracture
Oblique
Oblique fractures run at an angle to the bone.
Think of someone twisting their arm during a fall.
Spiral
Spiral fractures encircle the long axis of the long bone, like a spiral staircase.
Think of a skier in an unbending boot. If the ski suddenly and severely twists, the rotational force can snap the bone in a spiral pattern.
X Ray Reference: Humerus Spiral Fracture
Drawing from "The Practice of Surgery" (1910).