Fracture Fixation

When a bone is broken (or fractured) and the pieces are sufficiently out of alignment or potentially unstable, then they need to moved back into position and stabilized. This is sometimes referred to by patients as having the bones “re-set”. The correct term to describe this for orthopaedic surgeons is to perform a “reduction”. This can occur by “closed” means (without using a surgical incision) or as an “open” surgery (a formal surgical procedure that requires an incision). When treated “closed”, these can often be placed into splints and casts to temporarily immobilize the injury and allow the body to heal it. If the fracture pattern, location or severity does not allow for this to occur, then the “open” surgery is performed to align the bones and provide a mechanism to stabilize them to allow for the appropriate healing.

There are various methods to perform fracture “fixation” and certainly various types of implants that can be considered. These implants are being improved upon very frequently with new technological advancements and with a better understanding of how fractures heal best. The surgical procedures themselves are now becoming more and more minimally invasive as to decrease the overall “trauma” to the area of injury and to protect the local skin and muscles to a much greater extent.

What are the treatment options for Fracture Fixation?

There are several different types of Fracture Fixation.

Fractures can be treated conservatively or with external and internal fixation. Conservative fracture treatment consists of closed reduction to restore the bone alignment. Subsequent stabilization is then achieved with traction or external splinting by slings, splints, or casts. Braces are used to limit range of motion of a joint. External fixators provide fracture fixation based on the principle of splinting. There are three basic types of external fixators: standard uniplanar fixator, ring fixator, and hybrid fixator. The numerous devices used for internal fixation are roughly divided into a few major categories: wires, pins and screws, plates, and intramedullary nails or rods. Staples and clamps are also used occasionally for osteotomy or fracture fixation. Autogenous bone grafts, allografts, and bone graft substitutes are frequently used for the treatment of bone defects of various causes. For infected fractures as well as for treatment of bone infections, antibiotic beads are frequently used.

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Fracture Fixation

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