In what type of fracture do the bone fragments not completely break through?

A greenstick fracture is a type of fracture that occurs in children and is characterized by the bone bending and breaking partially, resembling the way a green twig breaks. In this fracture, one side of the bone may break completely, while the other side remains intact, allowing it to bend without breaking all the way through. This is why it is referred to as a “greenstick” fracture, analogous to how a fresh twig bends but does not split entirely.

In contrast, a comminuted fracture involves the bone being shattered into multiple pieces, a compound fracture involves the bone breaking and protruding through the skin, and a transverse fracture is characterized by a horizontal break across the bone. Therefore, the defining feature of the greenstick fracture is that it does not result in the complete breakage of the bone, making it unique among the other types of fractures listed.