The Long Bones Fig. 2. Before a fracture can be assigned to a segment, one must first determine its center. In a simple fracture the center of the fracture is obvious. In a wedge fracture the center is at the level of the broadest part of the wedge. In a complex fracture the center can only be determined after reduction.
Any fracture associated with a displaced articular component is classified as an articular fracture.
If the fracture is associated only with an undisplaced fissure which reaches the joint, it is classified as metaphyseal or diaphyseal depending on where its center is.