fractura
nounCEFR B1
What does “fractura” mean in English?
fracture — break in a bone; fracturarse
fracture — break in a bone; fracturarse (reflexive) — to fracture; colloquial: rotura; poner una escayola — to put on a cast
Example sentences
Tras caerse por las escaleras, le hicieron una radiografía en urgencias que confirmó que se había fracturado el radio; le pusieron una escayola y le dijeron que volviera en cuatro semanas.
After falling down the stairs, they took an X-ray in A and E which confirmed she had fractured her radius; they put on a cast and told her to come back in four weeks.
El médico le advirtió de que si volvía a practicar deporte antes de que la fractura hubiera soldado completamente, el riesgo de una fractura de repetición sería muy alto.
The doctor warned him that if he went back to playing sport before the fracture had completely healed, the risk of a repeat fracture would be very high.
How to use it
La fractura means a fracture or break in a bone. The verb fracturarse (reflexive) means to fracture: me fracturé la muñeca. The resultative state is tener una fractura or llevar una escayola. Common collocations: una fractura de cadera (hip fracture), una fractura de estrés (stress fracture), una fractura abierta (compound fracture). After diagnosis, the standard medical sequence is: hacer una radiografía → confirmar la fractura → poner una escayola → hacer rehabilitación.
Common mistake
Fracturarse is the reflexive form for self-injury; do not omit the pronoun. Escayola (Spain) is a plaster cast — learners sometimes calque 'cast' literally. The colloquial rotura is used in informal speech where fractura would appear in clinical notes.