A diagonal fracture line describes which fracture?

• A. Comminuted Fracture
• B. Oblique Fracture
• C. Stress Fracture
• D. Subluxation

Answer: (B)

Fracture orientation is the key idea here. A diagonal crack across the bone describes an oblique fracture because the break runs at an angle to the bone’s long axis, crossing from one side to the other rather than straight across. This differs from a transverse fracture, where the break is horizontal relative to the bone’s length, and from a comminuted fracture, where the bone is broken into multiple fragments. Stress fractures are tiny cracks from repetitive loading and aren’t defined by a single diagonal fracture line, while subluxation is a partial dislocation of a joint, not a fracture pattern. So the diagonal, angled line across the bone best fits an oblique fracture.