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What is
Closed Reduction Fracture?
A closed reduction of a fracture is a type
of procedure that involves setting a broken
bone without making an incision in the skin.
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Effects of
Closed Reduction Fracture
With this procedure, the bone should heal in
a normal position and the patient will
regain the use of the bone and the limb it
serves. The pain from the broken bone will
be relieved with this procedure.
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Candidates for
Closed Reduction Fracture
A closed reduction procedure is recommended
if your bone is broken in one place and has
not broken the skin and you do not need
plates, pins, or screws put in the bone to
help hold it in place.
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Your
Consultation
Patients who will be getting general
anesthesia, should not eat or drink anything
after midnight and the morning before the
procedure.
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The Closed Reduction Fracture
Procedure
Before the procedure, you will be given a
local, regional or general anesthetic to
numb you from the pain. Sometimes a sedative
may also be given to relax you and reduce
anxiety.
Initially, the doctor will push the broken
bone into a position where it can properly
heal. Then the doctor will put the limb in a
cast or splint to keep the bone in place.
There may be rare cases in which your limb
may be put in traction with ropes, pulleys
and weights to help keep the bone in place
until it can be safely treated with a cast.
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Recovery
A hospital stay is not necessary. You may go
home later in the day depending on how you
are doing. It is likely that you may have a
splint, dressing or cast to help keep the
bone in place during the healing process.
Talk to your health care provider and ask
what steps you should take and when you
should return for a check-up.
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Risks
Aside from the risks of general anesthesia,
there are other complications with this
procedure. For one, the bone may grow
together in a different way than it was
originally and may not be perfectly lined
up. There may also be a loss of feeling in
the area of the break if a nerve is damaged.
And if an artery is near the fracture, it
could be damaged too.
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Frequently Asked
Questions
Q: What are fractures?
A:
Fractures are broken bones and can cause
pain and make it difficult or impossible
to use the part of the body that is
injured. Treatment of fractures depends
on the type and location of the
fracture, if there are other injuries,
and also how serious those injuries are.
Q: What is a closed fracture?
A:
A closed fracture is described as a
broken bone that does not penetrate the
skin. This is an important distinction
because when a broken bone penetrates
the skin, immediate treatment is
necessary and an operation is usually
required to clean the area of the
fracture. And because of the risk of
infection, there are more problems
associated with healing when a fracture
is open to the skin.
Q: What are the different treatments for
fractures?
A:
The types of treatment for fractures are
closed reduction, traction, open
reduction and internal fixation,
external fixation, casts and splints,
and also functional casts or braces.
Q: What are the benefits of these
treatments?
A:
Treatment of fractures will lead to a
completely healed well-aligned bone that
functions well. The bone should look
good when healed and should not be
deformed. The treatment should allow the
person to resume work as soon as
possible.
Q: What happens during a closed
reduction fracture procedure?
A:
In this procedure, external fixation is performed without making a cut. Initially, a closed
reduction is done to put the bones
in place. Then, pins or screws are
put through the skin and bone above
and below the fracture. These are
connected to metal bars on the
outside of the skin in order to form
a frame around the fracture. This
frame will then keep the bone pieces
in place. The fixation device is
removed only when the healing is
complete.
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