hairline fracture
Barely visible break
A hairline fracture is a thin crack in a bone, often caused by repetitive stress rather than sudden impact.
Unlike complete fractures, the bone remains largely intact—the break is so fine it may not appear on initial X-rays.
Common in athletes and runners: The doctor found a hairline fracture in her shin.
Also called a stress fracture.
- crackNarrow break or attempt
- boneHard skeletal tissue
- microVery small prefix
- thinSmall in diameter
- invisibleCannot be seen
stress reaction · fine · splint · pain · spider · delicate · trauma · heal · rest · take it easy · cast · walking boot · swelling · tenderness · break · injury · sports injury · scan
- injuriesbruise, sprain, concussion, contusion, laceration
- foot injuriesankle sprain, broken toe, plantar fasciitis, heel pain, stubbed toe
- fracture carebone healing, bone break, broken bone, bone graft, bone grafting
- fracturesbroken bone, microfracture, broken arm, broken leg, broken hip
- joint injuriesligament tear, torn ligament, MCL tear, ACL tear, torn ACL
- traumaabuse, abandonment, abandonment trauma, acute stress, amnesia
fracture severity
hairline fracturecompound fracture
Bone snaps through skin
open fracture · shattered bone · spiral fracture · greenstick fracture
hair, hairier, hairiest, hairiness, haired, hairline, hairlines, line, liner