Fracture Treatment

"Now Just a Minute Buster!"

A FRACTURE means a break in your bone. To TREAT a fracture we must pull the two ends of the bone back to touching each other, and correct any wide angles.

There are many methods in the bone doctors bag of tricks, which one is used depends on the type of fracture. For bad fractures, fixation methods must be used. But for simple broken bones, a cast of plaster is all that's needed.

The familiar Plaster of Paris cast is a chemical which when water is added turns from a soft powder to a hard shell which can hold your bones in shape - a bit like mild cement. First any manipulation is made, then a thin layer of padding called webril is wrapped around your broken bone to keep the hard plaster away from your skin, and then the plaster is applied. Is soon feels very warm as it chemically sets hard.

Before and after any procedure an xray of the bone is taken. The first to prove that there's a break, how bad it is, and exactly where it is. And the second to make sure you've corrected it. Once the bone doctor is happy with the second xray they can let you go home to be seen again in their clinic some weeks later. Here again an xray may be taken to observe healing progress and the cast taken off to look at the area. Once your doctor is satisfied then there's no more need for a cast. It's up to you then to exercise the limb that's been resting several weeks and display your cast full of friends signatures as trophy in your bedroom.

 

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