Help, major vibration in steering wheel

[buckeyesr1]

Can anyone give me advice as to how to identify a bad CV joint? I recently performed a U turn and I thought I heard something break and fall through the wheel well or engine. I began to get a lot of vibration in the steering wheel and quite frankly it felt like my wheel was going to fall off. I was able to make it home but before I did the shaking stopped and it seemed to drive fine for about two weeks and then it started up again. I have noticed that the front CV joints are ripped. Is the shaking in the steering due to bad CV joints? Thank you!