DEFINITION
Oxford Dictionary Definition – The cracking or breaking of a hard object or material.
A bone is fractured when there is a break in the continuity of the bone cortex. Similar terms used to describe a fracture include broken, crack, greenstick or buckle; all are used to refer to the same thing – a broken bone. The break is often described by its location (i.e. bone) and its direction (horizontal, oblique, transverse).
HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?
Fractures can happen in a variety of ways. Most fractures are due to trauma, while others are due to pathological conditions or overuse. Trauma can vary from high-energy injuries such as motor vehicle accidents to low energy injuries such as simple falls.
TYPES OF FRACTURE
- Open or Compound Fracture – The skin overlying the fracture is also broken.
- Comminuted Fracture – The bone is broken into multiple pieces.
- Avulsion Fracture – A muscle or ligament pulls the bone away, fracturing it.
- Fracture Dislocation – When a fractured bone is associated with a dislocation of a joint.
- Pathological Fracture – A fracture through bone weakened by an underlying condition – e.g. cancer, osteoporosis.
- Stress Fracture – A fracture due to overuse repetitive stresses and strains.
INVESTIGATION AND TREATMENT
Plaster
Traction
Operation
Inflation of different types of Fractures can be done by Application of Plasters, Nails, Screws, Wires, and multiple combinations of Implants depending upon Fracture Geometry.
Limb reconstruction surgery is the field of trauma and orthopaedic surgery that deals with the management of deformities of upper and lower limbs, reconstruction of limb defects and limb equalization techniques. The aim of limb reconstruction surgery is to achieve maximum function form a deformed limb.
A range of modern surgical techniques are used to perform limb reconstruction surgery, including:
- Conventional plate fixation
- Locking plate fixation
- Intramedullary Nailing
- Circular fine wire external fixators
- Bone Transport and limb lengthening
- Angular and/or rotational correction
- Joint Arthrodesis or reconstruction
The techniques used are customized for each individual case and often involve a combination of above techniques.
Common deformities treated include:
- Non-unions: Fractures that have failed to heal.
- Mal-unions: Fractures that have healed in the wrong position.
- Post-traumatic arthritis: Arthritis of a joint following a fracture or trauma.
- Bone loss: Fractures that have lost bone at the time of the accident or subsequent surgery.
- Bone infection (Osteomyelitis): infected bone commonly associated near a site of previous injury or surgery.