Fracture Care Specialist

What are the signs that I need fracture care?

Not all fractures cause symptoms, but, in most cases, a bone fracture leads to problems that require immediate attention. These issues may include:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Restricted movement
• Difficulty bearing weight or using the affected body part
• Odd changes in the appearance of the affected body part

If you’re in an accident of any type, it’s best to seek fracture care right away. If you wait, the solution may be more complicated and invasive.  

What causes fractures?

Fractures may happen for several reasons, including:

Trauma

Even the healthiest bones can break with enough pressure. Some of the main causes of traumatic fractures include sports injuries, falling from a considerable height, trip-and-fall accidents, a direct blow to the bone, and auto accidents. Trauma can cause fractures ranging from partial breaks to complete bone separations to a bone shattering into multiple pieces. 

Overuse

Overuse fractures can happen when you overtrain. Over time, overtraining can lead to muscle fatigue, which, in turn, puts excessive stress on your bones and causes stress fractures. 

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, a disease that causes bone thinning as you age, can weaken your bones significantly. In some cases, this may lead to small fractures called compression fractures, particularly in the spinal vertebrae.

Regardless of how your fracture happens, you usually need fracture care at Oakland Orthopedics and Sports Medicine to fully recover.

What does fracture care involve?

Because fractures can vary so much from case to case, the specific fracture care approach varies as well. Some of the different approaches include:

Closed reduction

Closed reduction involves manipulating your bone to restore its proper position without surgery. It’s a solution for less complicated fractures. 

Open reduction

Open reduction is surgical bone realignment and restoration for more complex fractures. You may need hardware to hold your bone in place as it heals. In some cases, you could need external fixation, in which metal parts extend from the broken bone to a stabilizing device surrounding the leg.

Immobilization

Immobilization devices like casts and braces keep your bone in a specific position to allow it to heal.

Along with initial fracture care, you need physical therapy. Physical therapy focuses on strength, flexibility, and range-of-motion exercises that help you resume normal function after you recover.

For fracture care from experts, call Oakland Orthopedics and Sports Medicine or book an appointment online now.