Bone Fracture Surgery

Bone Fracture Surgery is done to repair the break in the continuity of a bone.

Some facts about Bone Fracture Surgery:

• Fractures can be small partial cracks or complete breaks and can occur in any bone.
• Hip fractures mainly among the elderly, ankle fractures, and fractures of the long bones in the lower and upper legs are the most common bone fractures.
• The most common causes of fractures include physical trauma, overuse, and conditions such as osteoporosis and some types of cancer.
• The risk of fracturing a bone increases with aging as bones typically become weaker through late adulthood.
• Some medical conditions that weaken the bones may result in a fracture .
• Most fractures gets repaired by the body itself, but medical intervention will be required to keep the broken bones in place which can range from external casts and splints to surgical screws and plates.
• A full or partial break in the continuity of bone tissue is known as bone fracture that can occur in any bone in the body.
• A break to the bone that does not damage surrounding tissue or tear through the skin is known as a closed fracture where as the fracture that damages surrounding tissue and penetrates the skin is known as a compound fracture.
• Compound fractures are more serious than simple fractures because of the risk of infection.
• Symptoms of a fracture vary depending on its location, the age and general health of a person and the severity of the injury.
• Swelling, bruising, pain, discolored skin around the affected area, protrusion of the affected area at an unusual angle, inability to put weight on the injured area, inability to move the affected area, a grating sensation in the affected bone or joint and bleeding if it is an open fracture are some of the common symptoms of a fracture.
• Dizziness, faintness or nausea may occur in more severe cases.

Preparation of Bone Fracture Surgery:

• A  physical examination will be done before the surgery to reach a diagnosis. This include an X-ray, and in some cases, an MRI or CT scan, to fully assess the fracture.
• In most cases, bone healing will occur naturally as it is a natural process.

Procedure of Bone Fracture Surgery:

• Natural healing process involves lining up the ends of the broken bones which can be done by manipulating the affected area externally by the doctor in smaller fractures. This may require surgery also in some instances.
• The medical professional will ensure that it stays in place, once it has aligned the fracture by using casts or braces, metal plates and screws, intramedullary nails, or rods, placed in bone cavities and external fixings.
• Bone fracture surgery will be performed when a broken bone can not heal properly with casting, splinting or bracing alone.
• Immobilising the bone with a plaster cast as well as metal rods or plates can be surgically inserted to hold the bone pieces together.
• Surgery and surgical traction are required for some complicated fractures.
• Open reduction, and internal fixation is a type of surgery that is recommended for complicated fractures which not able to be realigned by casting, or in cases in which the long term use of a cast is not required.
• Internal fixation is the most common type of bone fracture surgery, where surgical screws, pins, rods, or plates are used to place the broken pieces of bone in the right position
• Open reduction, and external fixation is a type of surgery that is done to repair the fracture by placing an external fixation device on the limb with the fracture. The device used is an external frame which supports the bone and hold it in the correct position while it is healing.
• Open reduction, and external fixation surgery is applied to complex fractures that cannot be repaired using open reduction, and internal fixation.
• Frequently, metal rods, screws or plates are used to repair the bone, and remain in place in case of open reduction and internal fixation.
• A low intensity ultrasound can be applied to the affected area which may help fractures heal for non-unions and delayed unions.
• A natural or synthetic bone will be transplanted by the surgeon to stimulate the broken bone if the fracture does not heal.
• Stem cell derived therapies can also be used in the healing of bone fractures.

Types of Fractures Requiring Surgery:

Different types of fractures that may require surgery in order to heal properly include:

Femur or Thighbone Fracture:

Usually, an Internal fixation surgery will be done to help fix a fractured femur in which a surgical rod will be used to help set and support the bone until it heals.
A plate may also be surgically added by the orthopedic surgeon to reinforce the rod. Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of the femur is the full name of this surgery.

Shoulder Fracture:

Shoulder Fracture surgery is recommended by an orthopedic surgeon when the ball portion of the upper arm is broken, crushed, or split. repair of muscles and tendons in the area will be included if damaged at the time of injury.

Hip Fracture:

Hip Fracture surgery, also known as hip pinning will be done to stabilize broken bones with surgical screws, rods, plates or nails. It is known as Partial Hip Replacement Surgery when the head of the thigh bone is replaced with artificial parts. The socket portion of the hip joint will not be replaced in this procedure.
The entire joint, including the socket portion of the pelvis, will be replaced with a prosthesis during a Total Hip Replacement Surgery.

Recovery from Bone Fracture Surgery:

• It can take several weeks to several months to heal a fracture, depending on their severity. The duration depends on which bone has become affected and whether there are any complications, such as a blood supply problem or an infection.
• Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, a high body mass index, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and the age of a person may affect bone healing.
• There is a risk of permanent stiffness or arthritis if the fracture occurs near or through a joint. The person may not be able to bend that joint as well as before the injury if this happens.

Complications of Bone Fracture Surgery:

• The bones may shift during the healing process or a fracture may heal in the wrong position.
• The typical development of that bone will be affected if a childhood bone fracture becomes disrupted during healing which can raise the risk of future deformity in the bone.
• Bacteria can enter through a break in the skin and infect the bone or bone marrow in a compound fracture.
• The bone may die if it loses its essential supply of blood, which is known as avascular necrosis.