What is an avulsion fracture?

What is an avulsion fracture?

An avulsion fracture is where a small piece of bone attached to a tendon or ligament gets pulled away from the main part of the bone. Ligaments hold your bones, joints and organs in place while tendons connect muscles and bones. In an avulsion fracture, your bone moves one way and your tendon or ligament moves in the opposite direction with a broken chunk of bone in tow. This most often happens when you suddenly change direction.

An avulsion fracture can happen to any bone that’s connected to a tendon or ligament. The bones that are most at-risk of an avulsion fracture include:

• Elbow bones.
• Ankle and foot bones.
• Knee bones.
• Finger and wrist bones.
• Pelvis and hip bones.
• Spine bones.