Introduction

Bone fracture repair is the process of repairing broken bones, either through external fixtures or surgical solutions.

Broken bones have always been a problem, so unsurprisingly there have been many procedures and methods designed to allow their timely and correct healing. The most basic of these treatments have existed for thousands of years, yet improvements and entirely new methods are still being realised.

Inital Treatment

The repair of broken bones is rarely a priority when treating patients who have undergone trauma. This is because broken bones rarely kill people, respiratory problems and blood loss are far greater, immediate threats, and should be treated first.  None of the methods used for repair can make bone grow, they can only support the fracture and allow the natural repair mechanisms to work. As such key factors in repair are:

• Correct Alignment
• Physical Support of the Injured site
• Minimising Risk to the Patient

With this in mind, the first action with breaks is generally to immobilise (this is done primarily to prevent the bone fragments shifting and causing soft tissue damage and bleeding) and try to make the patient as comfortable as possible. If the fracture is "open", it is neccessary to keep the bone clean, to prevent infection. Once the patient is no longer in mortal danger, correct repair of the fracture can begin.

The actual methods used depend upon the fracture and the surgeon. It is also possible to treat the same fracture correctly in many different ways, and as such all options should be considered equally useful.

Banner image courtesy of Flickr and are under creative commons license. Original image can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/zoomcityzoom/897655413/sizes/o/