The School Nurse Assessing a Child Who Has Fallen Off

The school nurse assessing a child who has fallen off the swings at school is looking for signs and symptoms of a fracture. The nurse suspects that the bone is fractured, because the child is complaining of pain and tenderness of the lower arm, there is some swelling of the lower arm, and there is decreased range of motion and crepitus. Which of the following best describes crepitus?

A) bleeding into the skin over the affected bone
B) paresthesia when the affected bone is moved in active or passive movement
C) bone overlap felt as a bump or raised elevation of the bone
D) a grating sound heard on movement of the ends of a broken bone