Is Surgery Always Required to Fix a Fracture?

Fracture Surgery

Accidents, sports injuries, and osteoporosis are some of the leading causes of bone fractures. In simple terms, a fracture means the bone is no longer intact. A bone can fracture in a variety of ways including crosswise, length wise or shattering into multiple pieces. Depending on the severity of the break, fracture surgery may be a patient’s only option to help restore function and aid in the healing process. Fracture surgery is not always required to fix a bone break.

Symptoms

Following an auto accident, slip and fall, sports injury or other experience causing a trauma to the human body, pain will be the most prevalent symptom. A bone fracture is extremely painful which will limit the range of motion in the area of injury. The symptoms will vary with each person.

• Instant swelling and a feeling of tenderness to the touch around the part of the body where the injury took place.
• Bruising or a warm feeling to the touch
• The area may look deformed. With more serious fractures, a bone may be visible within a wound or under the skin.

Testing

The only way to determine the proper approach for treatment is through an accurate diagnosis. The doctor will begin with a medical history, physical examination and testing which is usually in the form on an x-ray. In some incidents, the doctor will order a CT or MRI scant o help determine if the fracture is hidden or to evaluate the surrounding tissue for further damage.

Fracture Surgery

With simple breaks, fracture surgery may not be necessary. Casting, immobilization or traction may be the only forms of treatment to aid in the healing process. Other circumstances involving a more severe accident or impact of force to the human body may require fracture surgery to repair the injury, promote healing and restore function.

• External fixation is a common form to repair a bone fracture. The fracture surgery involves attaching metal pins or screws to both the top and bottom of the bone fracture area. The metal hardware is connected to meal bar or rod outside of the body which helps stable the area of injury.
• Open reduction with internal fixation helps reposition the bones to their normal alignment while attaching screws, metal pins or plates to the outer area of the bone. In more severe cases where the bone shatters, inserting a metal rod down into the center of the bone may help restore the area back to normal function after healing.

Using fracture surgery helps in the healing process by restoring the bones back to their normal alignment. In some cases, the bones may need a graft from another part of the body to restore the shattered bone. Each patient will have a different need which is why individualized attention and accurate diagnosis is critical for the care process.

In the Orange County area, Dr. Howard Marans understands each patient needs to be accurately diagnosed and treated on an individual basis to determine the right treatment approach. In expert in the field, Dr. Marans main concern is to return a patient to a healthy, active lifestyle. Dr. Marans accepts PPO and will work with other insurance companies to provide each patient with quality care. Please click below to schedule your consultation or call us at 714.979.8981.