TREATMENTS
FRACTURES AND DISLOCATIONS
An injury, fall or motor vehicle accident can result in fractures and dislocations.
Fractures and Dislocations
An injury, fall or motor vehicle accident can result in fractures and dislocations. In most cases, many people are aware that they have a dislocation or suffered a fracture, whereas, in other circumstances, the signs are not as obvious. Dislocation or fracture causes bruising, swelling and pain around the area.
As soon as a bone moves out of place or cracks, seeking urgent medical treatment remains a priority at the time. Not seeking treatment increases the risk of future dislocations and fractures, so this must be seen urgently.
Fractures are cracks in the bone ranging from mild to severe. Different types of fractures include:
- Stress fractures are fine cracks that form in the bone due to repetitive stress.
- Closed fractures occur when the bone fractures but does not penetrate the skin. The bone's broken ends may align neatly, near one another or could be entirely out of place.
- Open fractures occur when broken bone pieces penetrate the skin.
- Comminuted fractures refer to when the bone splits into several fragments.
Fractures occur as a result of trauma, the formation of bone diseases such as osteoporosis and repetitive motion, which include running and playing tennis.
Dislocations are just as severe as open/compound fractures and occur when a bone piece that forms the joint shifts irregularly out of its usual position. As a result, the joint will not move at all and begins to swell and looks deformed. The hips, knees, ankles, shoulders, elbows and fingers are points most likely to dislodge.
Treatment for fractures and dislocations
Dr Makan understands the amount of pain experienced when suffering a fracture and dislocation and provides medical assistance, support and care when providing treatment.
Surgery depends on the injury and its location, but Dr Makan will perform either one of the following:
- Moving the dislocated bone in place manually
- Using a sling or sometimes a splint to prevent the joint from moving
- Immobilise the bone using a cast so that it unifies on its own
- Perform surgery to realign broken bones and repair detached ligaments
- Focus on rehabilitation of the joint after surgery
Recovery
No matter the urgency of the situation, Dr Makan provides care, his expert medical expertise and performs emergency surgery in the direst of situations. In addition, he focuses on rehabilitative care and aims to keep his patients moving after a full recovery.
FAQ
Typically bracing to immobilise the fractured pieces helps repair broken vertebrae. Before this, Dr Makan performs vertebroplasty that involves injecting bone cement through a catheter into the affected vertebrae to stabilise the area. He may also decide to carry out kyphoplasty to insert an inflatable bone tamp to lift broken pieces back in place and fill the remaining cavity with bone cement.
This depends, but typically you will experience pain, have trouble walking and may even develop paralysis in the arms or legs.
Broken vertebrae take a few weeks to heal after surgery. However, in some cases, in the event of a single broken bone, you may not even require surgery. If this is the case, rest, physical therapy and bracing are all that is required.