Bone fractures affect people of any age and for various reasons. Similarly, fractures come in an equally wide range of severities, from hairline fractures, which you may not suspect you have, to complex fractures, in which bone tissue pierces the skin.
Medical treatment for a fracture depends on the location and severity of the injury. While nonsurgical approaches are generally favored, some fractures require surgery to stabilize bone tissue and speed healing.
Bahri Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, is your source for premium orthopedic care for bone fractures. As fracture and trauma specialists, we’re with you through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery monitoring.
With the number of bones in your body and the many ways bones can be damaged, classifying fractures helps identify injuries and guide treatment.
Physicians look for causes, parts of the body, and patterns to diagnose a specific injury, and we also consider other characteristics that help develop treatment options.
Many fractures stay contained within your body. These are called closed fractures, while cases that break through the skin are considered open fractures. Closed fractures tend to heal more quickly and with fewer complications. Open fractures also carry an increased risk of infection.
Non-displaced fractures remain close to normal bone alignment, so there’s a reduced need to move bone sections back into place. Displaced fractures have distortions and gaps, requiring alignment of bone tissue before healthy healing can progress.
Generally, a closed and non-displaced fracture is less likely to require surgical treatment than an open and displaced fracture.
Your fracture injury largely determines whether your treatment will be surgical or nonsurgical.
Some minor non-displaced fractures require observation when the fractured bone is in alignment and is likely to heal in place. However, most fractures require some form of immobilization so that the healing process isn’t interrupted by further injury. Casts, splints, and slings are the most common fracture immobilization methods.
Closed reduction may be needed for more severe fractures. This involves manual manipulation of the fractured bone to align sections before immobilization. This is usually performed with anesthetics and/or sedatives to keep you comfortable.
Surgery is generally reserved for complex and serious fractures. In these cases, a cast or splint can't accomplish simple immobilization. Bone pieces require mechanical fixation, usually with metal pins, plates, rods, screws, and wires.
Surgical fixation may be internal, where this hardware is contained within your body. Depending on the severity and type of the fracture, fixation may be enough to secure your bones in place. In other cases, you could also need a cast or splint.
External fixation typically involves internal screws that connect to an external framework that provides stability through initial healing, followed later by further internal fixation.
Contact the specialists at Bahri Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Clinic when you require care for bone fractures. Call 904-739-0050 to book an appointment with either of our Jacksonville locations, or use the booking link on this page to schedule your visit now.
