At first glance, a broken bone is a broken bone. But a closer look reveals some critical distinctions: Where and how the fracture occurs makes a big difference in your treatment and recovery.
Our orthopedic specialists at Coastal Ortho have years of experience diagnosing and treating bone fractures. Here’s a look at how fractures heal, including when you need a splint — and when you don’t.
Bone healing involves three stages:
Our Coastal Ortho specialists assess your bone fracture, medical history, activity level, and recovery goals to determine the best treatment approach for your injury.
Splints are one of the best ways to treat fractures for several reasons.
We mainly use a splint to immobilize your fractured bone and prevent movement that could hinder healing.
By keeping the bone stable, splints reduce pain and swelling, two common issues that accompany fractures.
A splint can prevent further damage to surrounding muscles, nerves, and blood vessels.
After a fracture occurs, the goal is to create an environment that’s as conducive to healing as possible. Splinting is the go-to treatment approach in many cases, such as:
Unstable fractures, where the bone pieces don’t line up properly, typically require a splint to keep everything in place.
Open fractures, where the bone breaks through the skin, almost always need a splint to protect the exposed area and stabilize the bone.
In cases of severe pain, a splint provides critical support to alleviate discomfort.
Not all fractures require the structure of a splint. For example:
Some minor fractures, like hairline or stress fractures, might not require a splint. All you need is rest and limited movement.
We sometimes treat fractures in fingers and toes with buddy taping, where we tape the injured digit to an adjacent one for support.
Certain rib fractures may not need a splint, since the surrounding muscles and chest structure provide adequate support.
Splints aren’t the only way we treat fractures. Some call for next-level aid, such as:
Casts provide more rigid immobilization than splints.
Functional braces allow limited movement while providing support; we often use them for specific arm and leg fractures.
In severe fracture cases, we may recommend surgery to insert rods, plates, or screws that stabilize the bone internally.
A smooth bone fracture recovery begins with rest and elevation to reduce swelling and promote healing. Once the fracture begins to heal, physical therapy helps restore normal strength and range of motion.
Pain management strategies, including prescribed medications and icing, can alleviate discomfort along the way. Regardless of the treatment you receive, rehabbing from a fracture requires diligence and patience.
If you’ve recently experienced a fracture, call or click online to schedule a visit at Coastal Ortho in Torrance or El Segundo, California. Our bone fracture specialists use the latest technology and treatments to restore your bones to top condition.