What is open reduction and internal fixation of an arm fracture?
• Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) is surgery to fix a fractured (broken) bone. The upper arm bone is called the humerus. The two bones of the forearm (below the elbow) are called the radius and ulna. Your child may have broken his arm in a car crash, while playing sports, or by falling on his arm while it is extended. If a child’s arm is twisted or hit by another person, it may break. • ORIF surgery may be done when one or more arm bones are broken or dislocated (moved out of place). With an open reduction, caregivers move the bone back into place during surgery. Internal fixation means that hardware (metal objects) are used to hold your child’s bone together. Your child may need ORIF if caregivers did a closed reduction, but the bone did not heal. An ORIF is also done if a bone is broken into many pieces or there is bone sticking out of the skin. ORIF surgery may decrease your child’s arm pain and help his broken arm heal correctly. What happens during my child’s open redu
