Fracture Care
Common Surgical Treatments & Pricing
When is Surgical Intervention Necessary?
Surgical treatment of fractures aim to restore the alignment and promote the healing of the injured bone. Not all fractures require surgical treatment, but those that do require urgent and immediate care. Therefore, it is important to visit an orthopedic specialist following a fracture.
Determining whether or not surgical attention is needed is dependent upon the fractures morphology, whether or not the bone has been displaced, and the severity of swelling. Should your specialist determine a procedure is necessary, your fracture will be treated via some form of hardware to stabilize the injury and promote proper healing. While the advantages of fracture care are many, there are two that are especially important:
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restoration of alignment holds the bone in place to allow for proper healing
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given that the bone is held in place, it may be able to handle earlier weight bearing, motion, and strength training
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this can help to prevent muscle atrophy, which if present can take longer than the bone to heal
In general, fractures can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months to heal. However, it is important to note that it is not uncommon for a fracture to take a year or longer to restore full motion and strength.
Hardware Removal
There are certain instances where a patient may opt to have their fracture hardware removed. While uncommon, some patients may come to find they have a metal allergy. In this case, the hardware will be removed and replaced with those comprised of a different metal. Furthermore, while most patients do not feel their hardware, some opt to have it removed. This procedure can only be done after one year of the original date of surgery.