1.1Medicine (of a fracture) producing multiple bone splinters.
‘a grossly comminuted humeral fracture’
‘most avian fractures tend to be comminuted’
‘Beneath the muscles, and on the same side, I found an extensive comminuted fracture, the bone being broken into eight or nine different portions, and driven in upon the brain.’
‘If any instability is noted after reduction or the fracture is comminuted, the patient should be referred to an orthopedist.’
‘‘Our club doctor Mark Waller has confirmed that he suffered a comminuted fracture of the tibia and fracture of the fibula in his left leg.’’
‘One broken wrist, comminuted, and one rule-out internal bleeding.’
‘Imagine an open displaced angulated comminuted clavicle fracture.’
Origin
Early 17th century past participle of comminute, from Latin comminut- ‘broken into pieces’, from the verb comminuere, from com- ‘together’ + minuere ‘lessen’.
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