Broken bones are a fact of life. Bone tissue is strong, but it can’t always resist the forces placed on it by accidents or injuries. How we treat your fracture depends on the fracture itself and your own patient-specific factors.
The physicians of Bahri Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, specialize in treating fractures and bone trauma. They’re your partners through treatment and recovery.
Today, we look at eight factors that influence our treatment of your fracture. Every patient and every injury has unique elements, so we tailor your bone fracture care to your situation.
How your bone breaks obviously has a tremendous influence on the care you require. Let’s consider the differences in fracture conditions.
Open fractures break the skin and require immediate surgical care to reduce the risks of infection. Closed fractures don’t carry the same risks.
Some fractures leave a bone broken, but mostly in place. These tend to be simpler to fix. Displaced fractures can be complex, requiring extensive work to align the bone pieces.
Some fractures require stabilization to promote bone knitting (healing) during recovery. That may take the form of a cast or other immobilization technique. Sometimes, the fracture is stable and may knit without intervention.
Some bones don’t have a heavy blood supply, necessary for delivery of the raw materials that healing requires. That’s common with some bones of the ankles and feet. These may need medical intervention to heal properly.
Damage to muscles, blood vessels, ligaments, and other soft tissue could make fracture treatment more difficult.
Your general health affects your treatment approach. Let’s look at some of these influences.
Older people take longer to heal than younger people. Bone regeneration is more efficient when you’re young, and younger people are less likely to have conditions that may affect how bones heal.
Diseases like diabetes and osteoporosis can affect the way our orthopedic surgeons approach fracture repair.
Diabetes affects microcirculation and the delivery of healing elements through the blood, while osteoporosis lowers bone density enough to interfere with surgical repair and increase the risk of future fractures.
Excessive alcohol consumption, poor nutrition, and smoking are lifestyle factors that can interfere with healing or increase the risk of complications during healing.
Contact Bahri Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Clinic when you need a partner in fracture treatment and recovery. Call or click today to schedule a consultation at one of our two convenient Jacksonville locations.
