BONE FRACTURES
Accidents Happen - We Can Help You Fix The Damage
At Central Virginia Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, our orthopedic trauma and fracture care doctors are focused on treating patients who have been involved in an accident or have suffered another kind of traumatic injury, like a fall or a collision. These injuries typically involve fractures and/or broken bones, which require immediate evaluation and treatment to avoid further injury.
What Is A Bone Fracture?
A bone fracture is the medical definition for a broken bone. Fractures are usually caused by traumas like falls, car accidents or sports injuries. But some medical conditions and repetitive forces (like running) can increase your risk for experiencing certain types of fractures.
If you break a bone, you might need surgery to repair it. Some people only need a splint, cast, brace or sling for their bone to heal. How long it takes to recover fully depends on which of your bones are fractured, where the fracture is and what caused it. Call us today at 540 372 6737 to begin your recovery and healing.
Below are some common symptoms that patients with traumatic injuries experience:
- Bruising and tenderness around the affected area
- Swelling and redness in affected area
- Pain that progressively gets worse
- Severe pain when moving the affected joint
- Severe pain when standing or walking
Bone Fractures VS. Sprains
Bone fractures and sprains are common sports injuries. If you experience a bone fracture, you’ve broken one or more of your bones. You can’t sprain a bone. A sprain happens when one of your ligaments is stretched or torn.
It’s possible to experience a bone fracture and a ligament sprain during the same injury, especially if you damage a joint like your knee or elbow.
How Are Bone Fractures Treated?
How your fracture is treated depends on which type it is, what caused it and how damaged your bones are.
Immobilization
If your fracture is mild and your bones did not move far out of place (if it’s non-displaced), you might only need a splint or cast. Splinting usually lasts for three to five weeks. If you need a cast, it will likely be for longer, typically six to eight weeks. In both cases you’ll likely need follow up X-rays to make sure your bones are healing correctly.
Closed Reduction
More severe breaks require a closed reduction to set (realign) your bones. During this non-surgical procedure, your provider will physically push and pull your body on the outside to line up your broken bones inside you. To prevent you from feeling pain during the procedure you’ll receive one of the following:
- Local anesthetic to numb the area around your fracture.
- Sedatives to relax your whole body.
- General anesthesia to make you sleep through the procedure.
After the closed reduction, your provider will put you in a splint or cast.
Bone Fracture Surgery
Some bone fractures require surgery. Depending on which type of fracture you have — and how badly your bones are damaged — there are few techniques your surgeon might use.
Internal fixation
Your surgeon will realign (set) your bones to their correct position and then secure them in place so they can heal and grow back together. They usually perform what’s called an internal fixation, which means your surgeon inserts pieces of metal into your bone to hold it in place while it heals. You’ll need to limit how much you use that part of your body to make sure your bone can fully heal.
Internal fixation techniques include:
- Rods: A rod inserted through the center of your bone that runs from top-to-bottom.
- Plates and screws: Metal plates screwed into your bone to hold the pieces together in place.
- Pins and wires: Pins and wires hold pieces of bone in place that are too small for other fasteners. They’re typically used at the same time as either rods or plates.
Some people live with these pieces inserted in them forever. You might need follow-up surgeries to remove them.
External fixation
You might need an external fixation. Your surgeon will put screws in your bone on either side of the fracture inside your body then connect them to a brace or bracket around the bone outside your body. This is usually a temporary way to stabilize your fracture and give it time to begin healing before you have an internal fixation.
Arthroplasty
If you fracture a joint (like your shoulder, elbow or knee) you might need an arthroplasty (joint replacement). Your surgeon will remove the damaged joint and replace it with an artificial joint. The artificial joint (prosthesis) can be metal, ceramic or heavy-duty plastic. The new joint will look like your natural joint and move in a similar way.
Bone grafting
You might need bone grafting if your fracture is severely displaced or if your bone isn’t healing back together as well as it should. Your surgeon will insert additional bone tissue to rejoin your fractured bone. After that, they’ll usually perform an internal fixation to hold the pieces together while your bone regrows. Bone grafts can come from a few sources:
- Internally from somewhere else in your body — usually the top of your hip bone.
- An external donor.
- An artificial replacement piece.
After your surgery, your bone will be immobilized. You’ll need some combination of a splint, cast, brace or sling before you can start using it like you did before your fracture.
Complications Of Bone Fracture Treatment
Fracture surgery complications include:
- Acute compartment syndrome (ACS): A build-up of pressure in your muscles may stop blood from getting to tissue, which can cause permanent muscle and nerve damage.
- Malunion: This happens when your broken bones don’t line up correctly while they heal.
- Nonunion: Your bones may not grow back together fully or at all.
- Bone infection (osteomyelitis): If you have an open fracture (the bone breaks through your skin) you have an increased risk of bacterial infection.
- Other internal damage: Fractures can damage the area around the injury including your muscles, nerves, blood vessels, tendons and ligaments.
We consistently, expertly, and compassionately provide optimal medical care to adults, children, athletes of all levels, as well as professionals to allow them to live healthy, happy, and purposeful lives. Make an appointment today!