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Suggest Treatment For Fractured Bones In The Arms
I fractured both bones in my arm I had to have surgery. My question is when you put the bones back together with plates and screws do you make the bones touch or leave a gap? The big bone in my arm had a clean break but was displaced so in surgery plates and screws were placed in put in the x ray I can clearly see the bone was not placed touching it has a clear gap so my question is this normal for doctor to leave a gap between bone?
Mon, 15 Oct 2018
Hi,
An undisplaced fracture can be set right by closed reduction. However, displaced fracture needs open reduction as well as fixation by rods or plates. Such open reductions will not place the broken bones back tightly, but leave a certain amount of gap. This will ensure that the bone-producing cells would help to heal the gap by deposition of calcium and phosphorus minerals.
If the gap is not left and the broken pieces are tightly placed, the growth of bone would cause certain deformities like the development of bone spurs. In order to avoid such complications, based on the requirements, bony pieces are only approximated at the fracture site.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Ashakiran S,
General & Family Physician
An undisplaced fracture can be set right by closed reduction. However, displaced fracture needs open reduction as well as fixation by rods or plates. Such open reductions will not place the broken bones back tightly, but leave a certain amount of gap. This will ensure that the bone-producing cells would help to heal the gap by deposition of calcium and phosphorus minerals.
If the gap is not left and the broken pieces are tightly placed, the growth of bone would cause certain deformities like the development of bone spurs. In order to avoid such complications, based on the requirements, bony pieces are only approximated at the fracture site.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Ashakiran S,
General & Family Physician
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