Torsional fractures and the third dimension of fracture management.

Torsional strength is the weakest structural property of bone. Fractures produced by common indirect mechanisms are likely to have significant rotational components that bear on their management. The characteristics of torsional fracture lines in bone specimens are completely predictable and reproducible. The physician who is aware of these biomechanical consistencies can use them for fracture reduction and can anticipate and treat fracture deformities accentuated by torsional loading.