Fracture Care

What is fracture care?

Fracture care is medical care focused on healing of bone fractures. At Los Angeles Orthopedic Surgery Specialists, fracture care includes comprehensive fracture management, from the initial evaluation to the treatments that help your bone heal in the proper position. 

What causes fractures?

Fractures occur for three main reasons, including: 

Accidents

Falls, sports injuries, and auto accidents are examples of accidents that often cause bone fractures. Accidents can happen at any age, from the junior high baseball team to slip-and-fall accidents in the nursing home. 

Overuse

Overuse means consistently exercising too much or too hard, and placing too much stress on your body. Over time, small fractures (stress fractures) develop. Just as with accidents, overuse injuries can happen at any time in life, from childhood to senior years. 

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis causes porous bones, in which the bones thin and weaken from within. It usually happens as a person ages. When bones are thinner, they’re far more likely to fracture. Half of women and a quarter of men eventually break a bone because of osteoporosis. 

There are many specific causes of fractures that might not be listed here, but most fractures fall into one of these three categories. 

What does fracture care involve?

Fracture care varies with the severity of the fracture, which bone it affects, your symptoms, and other individual aspects of your injury. Los Angeles Orthopedic Surgery Specialists offers all-encompassing fracture care in the office and in hospital settings. 

Resting, modifying your activities, and wearing an immobilization device (cast, sling, brace, or other) is vital for most fractures. Some fractures can heal properly without surgery if the bone isn’t misaligned.

If your bone isn’t aligned properly, however, it must be returned to the proper position before the healing begins. The team may use nonsurgical fracture treatment techniques like traction to restore the bone to its proper position. But if you have a severe fracture, you could need surgery to place your bone in a prime position for ideal healing. 

With all types of fracture care, pain management and physical therapy are also an integral part of the healing process. 

Taking action as soon as you suffer a fracture can protect your bone health now and in the future. Call the Los Angeles Orthopedic Surgery Specialists office near you or book your appointment using the online scheduler now.