A fracture is a broken bone. The bone can be partially or completely fractured in different ways. 

The three most common causes of fractures are: 

1. Trauma - this includes falls, motor vehicle accidents or injury during sports 
2. Osteoporosis - Osteoporosis is a bone disease that results in thinning of the bone. Bones that are affected by osteoporosis become fragile and break more easily.
3. Overuse – This sometimes results in stress fractures, breaks that are common among athletes. 

How are fractures diagnosed?
If you have broken a bone you may hear a cracking or snapping sound. The area around the fracture will be tender, swollen, and painful. Our orthopedic specialists usually use an X-ray to verify the diagnosis and evaluate the extent of the injury. Stress fractures can be particularly difficult to diagnose because they do not always immediately appear on an X-ray.

What is the treatment for a fracture?
Our orthopedic specialists treat fractures of the hip, the knee, the elbow, the wrist, and the long bones of the arms and legs. The doctors use casts, splints, pins, plates, and other devices to hold a fracture in the correct position while the bone heals. External fixation methods involve plaster or fiberglass casting, cast braces, splints, and other devices. Internal fixation is when the broken pieces of bone must be held in proper position with metal plates, pins, or screws while the bone heals.

What to expect with recovery?
Fractures can take anywhere from a couple of weeks up to several months to heal.

Healing depends on the extent of the trauma and injury, and how well you follow the care plan set up by your care team. Generally the pain is eased early on while the fracture is still healing, but even after your cast comes off you may have to limit activity.

Usually, the muscles and ligaments become weakened from less use. This is where the orthopedic specialist may feel the need to order physical therapy for a period of rehabilitation. This will involve exercises and a gradual increase of activity while the muscles and ligaments regain strength and function.

Specialties and conditions treated:
 Our fracture care services include treatment for:

• Broken Toes, Feet, and Ankles
• Broken Wrist and Hand
• Collar Bone Fracture
• Elbow Fractures
• Femur Fractures
• Hip Fractures

Fracture Care

Michael Robertson, MD

Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Specialists

Brian D. Kleiber, MD

Kurt M. Krautmann, MD

Podiatry

Robert "Scott" Foster, DPM

Orthopaedic Hand, Wrist & Elbow Specialists

Jay T. Bridgeman, MD

Matthew L. Jones, MD

Shannon Yehyawi, MD

Sports Medicine

Mark A. Adams, MD

Joshua C. Hamann, MD

Shawn Sahota, MD

Patrick A. Smith, MD

B. Bus Tarbox, MD

Tameem M. Yehyawi, MD