The practice of Orthopaedics encompasses the assessment and management of a broad spectrum of musculoskeletal problems.
Some problems are related to growth and development. Other problems that would bring a patient to an Orthopaedist are related to advancing age and degenerative disease.
Urgent or emergent need for orthopaedic care is most often due to trauma. Fractures (breaks of a bone) are related to falls, crush injuries, missteps, or any myriad of causes.
The management of fractures takes into account the amount of force involved, the fracture location, the soft-tissue injury that invariably accompanies the fracture, the stability and position of the injury/fracture and the age/stability of the patient.
The treatment of fractures starts with protecting the region from further harm. In some instances this initial step can be as easy as applying a splint.
Some injuries need more rigid stability to lessen further injury and allow for healing to begin. Some fractures that don’t have the worries for significant swelling can be casted immediately.
Ultimately the goal of fracture management is to return the injured patient to full function. Injuries with significant displacement may be brought back to a functional return more predictably with operative (surgical) management.
Injuries to the joints require special consideration and getting an early start of motion is a general rule.
Each fracture has its own personality — its own idiosyncrasies. Initial care and proper management sets the stage for getting you back to what you love to do.
—Thomas A. Barrett, MD, Shore Orthopaedic University Associates, www.shoreorthodocs.com, 609-927-1991
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