Fractures (broken bones) need immediate medical care to be sure the bones heal properly and you regain optimal strength and mobility. At Powell Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Thomas Powell, MD, provides comprehensive care for all types of fractures, from in-office care for a simple fracture to surgery to realign displaced bones and prevent an infection. When you need expert fracture care, don’t wait to schedule an appointment. Call the office in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, or connect online to request a same-day visit.
Fractures (broken bones) occur due to a traumatic injury, stress fracture, or brittle bones. The most common traumas include falls, car accidents, and sports injuries.
Stress fractures occur when your activities place repetitive, excessive force on the bones, resulting in a crack. Osteoporosis makes your bones so brittle and weak that they easily fracture or collapse with little force.
Fractures cause symptoms such as:
When a spinal vertebra collapses due to osteoporosis, you have sudden back pain without swelling and bruising.
Bones break in many different ways. A few examples include:
An open fracture is dangerous because the wound allows dirt, bacteria, and other contaminants to get inside your body. As a result, you have a high risk of developing an infection.
Powell Orthopedics and Sports Medicine offers exceptional fracture treatment, including:
A fracture can only heal properly when the bones are in their proper position and immobilized with a brace or cast.
If the bone pieces are out of place, your provider must realign them with a procedure called reduction and fixation.
Reduction is the process of putting displaced bones back in their normal position. You may need surgery (open reduction), or your provider may manually realign the bones without making an incision (closed reduction)
Fixation refers to holding the bones in place using screws, rods, wires, plates, or nails. During an open reduction, the hardware goes inside your body (internal fixation). If you have a closed reduction, the hardware goes through your skin (external fixation).
If you have an open fracture, you need surgery as soon as possible so your provider can clean out the dirt and foreign material, remove damaged tissues, and cleanse the area.
Though intensive rehabilitation can't begin until after your fracture heals, Powell Orthopedics and Sports Medicine begins your physical therapy as early as possible so you can restore muscle strength and joint movement.
To get the help you need for a fracture, call Powell Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, or book an appointment online today.
