What type of fracture involves the bone being shattered into multiple pieces?

A comminuted fracture is characterized by the bone breaking into three or more pieces. This type of fracture typically results from high-impact trauma, such as in car accidents or falls from significant heights. The fragmentation of the bone complicates the healing process and often requires surgical intervention to realign and stabilize the fragments. In contrast, other fracture types do not involve such extensive shattering. For instance, a cortical fracture refers to a fracture in the outer layer of the bone rather than multiple pieces, while a displaced fracture indicates that the bone ends are not aligned but still may remain in fewer segments. A simple fracture (also known as a closed fracture) describes a situation where the bone is broken in one place without breaking through the skin and usually involves only two pieces. Therefore, the nature of the comminuted fracture distinguishes it as the correct answer regarding the shattering of the bone into multiple fragments.