What is the treatment for broken bones?
A fracture is a break in a bone. The treatment chosen depends upon the type of fracture a person has. Many fractures do not affect the bone alignment, and only require protection of the bone with a splint or cast while it heals. However, if the bone is not lined up correctly, your doctor may decide to “reduce” it. This means re-aligning the bone. There are two types of bone reduction: 1. Closed is when the reduction is done without surgery. 2. Open is when the reduction is done with surgery, after putting the area or the patient to sleep. Closed reductions of fractures are more common than open ones. During open reduction, pieces of hardware may be placed on your bone to keep it straight. This hardware helps to make the bone stronger and includes: • pins • screws or • plates of strong metal, such as stainless steel The broken bone is either placed in a cast or splint. These keep the ends of the bone in a stable position and allow the bone to heal. In rare cases, traction is used to sta
