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Treating Fracture

Treatment involves:

  • Putting the pieces of bone together (may require anesthesia and/or surgery)
  • Keeping the pieces together while the bone heals itself

Devices that can hold a bone in place while it heals include:

  • A cast (may be used with or without surgery)
  • Metal pins across the bone with a frame holding them outside the bone (requires surgery)
  • A metal plate with screws (requires surgery)
  • Screws alone (requires surgery)
  • A rod down the middle of the bone (requires surgery)

Healing and Rehabilitation

Healing time ranges from three weeks for a simple finger fracture to many months for a complicated fracture of a long bone. All fractures require rehabilitation exercises to regain muscle strength and joint motion.

Possible Complications

  • Delayed union-It takes longer than usual to heal but does heal.
  • Nonunion-The bone does not heal and needs some special treatment.
  • Infection-This is more likely to happen after an open fracture or surgery.
  • Nerve or artery damage-This usually occurs as result of a severe trauma.
  • Compartment syndrome-Severe swelling in the spaces of the limbs that causes damage to body tissues.
  • Late arthritis-This may happen if the surface of a joint is badly damaged.

Talk about it in the:
Fracture Support Group

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