Medical — Fractures

Overview

A fracture occurs when you take significant blunt force trauma, such as falling from heights or being knocked unconscious, causing your character to limp and preventing them from running or sprinting. If left untreated, fractures severely compromise your mobility, making you an easy target for zombies and hostile players alike.

How It Works

Fractures are limb-specific injuries that disable the sprint function and cause a persistent limp. To heal a fracture, you must craft or find a Splint and apply it to your character's legs. The splint acts as a temporary stabilizer; you must keep it equipped for several minutes of real-time gameplay to allow the bone to knit back together. Once the status effect icon disappears from your HUD, you can safely remove the splint.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Craft a splint by combining 2x Wooden Sticks and 1x Rag (or Bandage), or locate a pre-made Splint in medical loot spawns.
2. Ensure you are not in immediate danger, as the application process leaves you vulnerable.
3. Open your inventory and drag the Splint into your hands.
4. Aim the Splint at the ground or keep it in your hands and hold the left mouse button (or appropriate trigger) to perform the "Splint Applied" action.
5. Wait for the animation to complete and the "Fracture" status icon to appear in the bottom-right of your screen.
6. Continue your survival tasks without sprinting; sprinting while a splint is active will damage your health and potentially break the bone again.
7. Wait until the status icon naturally disappears, indicating the bone is fully healed.

Tips

• Always carry a spare Splint in your inventory; if you break a leg in a remote area, you cannot move quickly enough to reach safety without one.
• You can craft a splint using a knife to cut down a small bush or tree for sticks and your own clothes for rags.
• If you lack materials for a splint, you can sometimes move by crawling, though this leaves you highly exposed.
• Monitor your health levels closely; if your health is low, a fall that might not break a leg at full HP will certainly break it at low HP.
• If you are carrying a large backpack, be mindful of your weight; heavy loads increase fall damage and the likelihood of sustaining fractures.

Common Mistakes

• Sprinting immediately after applying a splint; this cancels the healing progress and will keep you injured indefinitely.
• Attempting to jump over fences or obstacles while fractured, which can cause secondary damage or interrupt the healing process.
• Forgetting to use Morphine; while Morphine is currently rare or non-functional for instant healing in some versions, players often waste time looking for it instead of crafting a simple Splint.
• Ignoring the "Splint Applied" visual cue; if the icon isn't there, you are not healing.

Related Items

• Splint Applied
• Rags
• Wooden Sticks
• Bandage
• Knife

Related Guides

• Combat and Movement
• Advanced First Aid
• Looting High-Tier Medical Zones