🦴 Eponymous & Named Fractures
High-yield for MRCS. Know the name, the bone, the key descriptor, and the clinical catch for each.
Quick-Fire Reference Table
The complete list at a glance. Use the tabs above for deeper detail on each group.
| Fracture | Region | Description / Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Colles’ | Wrist | Distal radius, dorsal displacement → dinner-fork deformity |
| Smith’s | Wrist | Distal radius, volar displacement — “reverse Colles'” |
| Barton’s | Wrist | Intra-articular distal radius shear — rim fragment subluxes with the carpus |
| Monteggia | Forearm | Proximal ulna fracture + radial head dislocation |
| Galeazzi | Forearm | Distal radius fracture + DRUJ dislocation |
| Maisonneuve | Ankle | Proximal fibula fracture + ankle syndesmotic injury — easy to miss |
| Lisfranc | Foot | Tarsometatarsal fracture-dislocation — look for the fleck sign |
| Böhler | Foot | Calcaneal fracture — Böhler’s angle <20° = significant collapse |
| Jones | Foot | 5th metatarsal diaphysis fracture — high non-union risk |
| Hangman’s | Spine | C2 bilateral pedicle fracture — hyperextension + axial compression |
| Jefferson | Spine | C1 burst fracture — axial load, fragments spread outward |
| Pott’s | Ankle | Bimalleolar ankle fracture — both malleoli fractured |
The Core Exam Principle — Always X-ray the Whole Bone
Monteggia, Galeazzi, and Maisonneuve share the same trap: a fracture at one end of a long bone is associated with a dislocation or injury at the other end. If you see a proximal ulna fracture, look at the elbow for radial head dislocation. Distal radius shaft fracture — look at the DRUJ. Ankle injury — palpate the entire fibula.
Never Miss a Maisonneuve
The ankle X-ray may look deceptively normal — widening of the ankle mortise is the only clue. The fibular fracture is high up, outside the standard ankle X-ray field. Always palpate the entire fibula in every ankle injury.
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