Injuries: bumper fracture: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Injuries: bumper fracture

Sample item

A pedestrian struck from the right by a car has a transverse fracture of the right tibia with a triangular wedge of bone separated from the shaft. The base of the wedge lies on the right side, and the fracture is 45 cm above the heel. What can be inferred?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. The force came from the right side, and the height above the heel suggests the bumper height

A bumper (fender) fracture is a wedge-type fracture of the leg bones from the impact of a car bumper. The base of the wedge is on the side of impact and its apex points in the direction of the force, and the distance of the fracture above the heel approximates the height of the bumper. These findings help to reconstruct the direction of impact and identify the vehicle.

Option by option

  • A. The pedestrian fell from a height, because the fracture is low on the leg

    A fall from a height typically gives calcaneal, vertebral or ring fractures, not a wedge tibial fracture.

  • B. The force came from the left side, and the fracture is caused by torsion

    The wedge base is on the side hit, so the force did not come from the left, and torsion gives spiral fractures.

  • C. The force came from the right side, and the height above the heel suggests the bumper height (correct)

    Correct. The wedge base marks the side of impact, and the fracture height approximates the bumper.

  • D. The fracture is pathological, since it is a single transverse break

    A traumatic wedge fracture in an otherwise healthy pedestrian fits impact and is not pathological.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is C, The force came from the right side, and the height above the heel suggests the bumper height. A bumper (fender) fracture is a wedge-type fracture of the leg bones from the impact of a car bumper.

Why is "The pedestrian fell from a height, because the fracture is low on the…" not the answer?

A fall from a height typically gives calcaneal, vertebral or ring fractures, not a wedge tibial fracture.

Why is "The force came from the left side, and the fracture is caused by tors…" not the answer?

The wedge base is on the side hit, so the force did not come from the left, and torsion gives spiral fractures.

Why is "The fracture is pathological, since it is a single transverse break" not the answer?

A traumatic wedge fracture in an otherwise healthy pedestrian fits impact and is not pathological.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries: bumper fracture in Forensic Medicine. The base of the wedge is on the side of impact and its apex points in the direction of the force, and the distance of the fracture above the heel approximates the height of the bumper. These findings help to reconstruct the direction of impact and identify the vehicle.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Injuries: bumper fracture?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.