New York Broken Bones Doctor – Orthopedic Surgeon

Diagnosing and Treating Broken Bones

Falls and accidents happen every day. Perhaps you slip while out in public, are injured on the job, car accident, or sustain an injury while playing sports. When these types of serious injuries happen, and you worry as though you may have broken (or fractured) a bone, it is important that you know the proper way to react to this type of injury and that you get the proper medical attention you need right away.

A bone fracture can be extremely painful and depending on the location and severity of the break; it can prevent you from walking, moving or going about your day-to-day activities. If you suspect you have broken a bone, then the first thing you need to do is to contact a New York area orthopedic doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

How to Diagnose a Bone Break

The most common way to diagnose a broken bone is with an X-ray. Once you have gone to the doctor or been admitted to a hospital, this is likely the first thing the medical team will do. X-rays are non-invasive and designed to take internal images of your bones. This image will instantly be able to tell the doctor whether you have broken your bone or not, the severity of your break and the precise location of your fracture. Orthopedic surgeons are usually the medical specialists that deal with and treat bone fractures. If your bone fracture is related to a work accident make sure that your orthopedist is rated by the NY Worker’s Compensation Board.

Types of Bone Fractures

There are five main types of fractures that can occur in the bone.

• Comminuted fracture- This is when the bone shatters into three or more pieces.
• Compound fracture- When the skin is broken at the time of the fracture, or the bone pierces through the skin when the break occurs.
• Oblique fracture- A fracture that occurs in an angled pattern.
• Stable fracture- When the two broken pieces of the bone line up and are mostly in place following the fracture.
• Transverse fracture- A break that occurs horizontally across the bone.

How Broken Bones Are Repaired

Since broken bones can vary so much in terms of location and severity, the process of treating, or repairing these broken bones can vary as well. The first and most important thing to remember when it comes to bone fracture repair is that the bone needs to be in its original position in order to heal properly. If the broken bone is not reset correctly, the bone will heal in a deformed position.

There are a few different types of treatments for broken bones:

• Plaster or fiberglass casts. These are the most common types of casts and can keep the broken ends of the bone in the right position during the healing process.
• Functional casts. These braces or casts allow for minimal, yet controlled movement of the joints, such as walking casts.
• Surgical repair. For more serious treatments, surgery is done to put metal screws or pins in the bone around the site of the fracture. These screws are attached to a bar that will hold the bones in place as they heal in position.
• Traction treatments. This unique type of treatment is used to gently align the bones with a subtle, steady pulling action that moves the bone into place.

You need to see an experienced New York orthopedic doctor as soon as possible after you have been injured. The sooner you are able to get treatment, the sooner you can get better. If you have been injured as a result of an accident, acting quickly can also help make sure that any no-fault or workers’ compensation insurance claims you file are approved.