Question

What are butterfly fractures and why do they command so much attention?

I am having a hard time finding information about it. if you use a source to answer the question could you please include it so i may review it?

Thank you

Answer 1

Butterfly fragments are large, triangular fracture fragments seen commonly in comminuted long bone fractures.

Butterfly fragments are large, triangular fracture fragments seen commonly in comminuted long bone fractures. The term is commonly used in orthopedic surgery, and results from two oblique fracture lines meeting to create a large triangular or wedge-shaped fragment located between the proximal and distal fracture fragments, and resembles a butterfly.

It is often displaced away from the axis of the long bone and may need a separate screw or plate if the fracture is treated with open reduction-internal fixation (ORIF).

Transverse oblique fractures with associated butterfly fragments are present at the proximal third of the fibular diaphysis and middle third of the tibial diaphysis. These fractures have mild lateral angulation of the distal fracture component. There is a 25% medial offset of the fibular fracture.  The butterfly fragments have moderate lateral displacement.

Why do butterfly fracture command so much attention

The existing model, only 60% of complete butterfly fractures exhibited impact side breakaway fragments. Although fractures initiated on the tension, nonimpact side, butterfly fragments formed on either compression or tension sides. Using newly defined breakaway fragment shape criteria, impact side was estimated with 98% accuracy for both complete and partial butterfly fractures. Furthermore, the results suggest that the impact site is the located on one of the Y-fracture's arms, not the butterfly fragment's center, as previously modeled.