Fractures need prompt, whole-body care to ensure your bones heal properly and you regain the strength you need to return to your favorite activities. Nader Fahimi, MD, and the team at Elite Orthopedics & Sports Medicine offer comprehensive care for all fractures, whether your fracture was caused by trauma, sports, or overuse. If you need immediate, expert care for a fracture, call one of the offices in Wayne, Riverdale, or Clifton, New Jersey, or use the online booking feature to request an appointment.
Fractures occur due to three primary causes:
It takes extreme force to break strong, healthy bones. As a result, most people suffer a traumatic fracture. These fractures most often occur when you fall from a height, during sports activities, when you’re in a car accident, or you suffer a direct blow.
Muscle fatigue develops when you overtrain or repeatedly do the same movements. Tired muscles stop absorbing shock and pass the stress to your bones. Over time, the bone cracks and you have a stress fracture.
Osteoporosis occurs over the years as you gradually lose more bone than your body can replace. Your bones become so weak and fragile that they can break without much force. For example, you could break a bone when you suddenly twist or bend over.
Compression fractures occur when bones weakened by osteoporosis collapse. This type of fracture usually affects the spinal vertebrae.
Fractures commonly cause:
Vertebral compression fractures cause back pain, but they seldom result in swelling or bruising.
After completing a physical exam and taking X-rays, the team at Elite Orthopedics & Sports Medicine treats your fracture by taking a whole-body approach that includes nutrition, exercise, and sport-specific training.
Your direct fracture care includes:
Fractures only heal when the two ends of the bone are in the proper position and stay that way until new bone grows. After ensuring the bones are properly aligned, your provider immobilizes the area with a brace, sling, or cast.
Your provider needs to realign the bones when the bone breaks into multiple pieces, the two ends aren’t close together, or you have an open fracture with a skin wound.
This realignment, called a reduction, may or may not require surgery, depending on the fracture’s severity. However, an open fracture always requires surgery to clean the wound and prevent infection.
After the bones are realigned, your provider performs fixation, using metal implants, such as plates, rods, and screws, to hold the pieces in place while the bone heals. Your fixation may be internal (the hardware is surgically placed inside your body) or external (the hardware is outside your skin).
After your bone heals, you start physical therapy. Your customized program includes a range of passive and active exercises to rebuild your strength, restore movement, and prevent future injuries.
When you need help for a fracture, you can request an appointment online or get immediate attention by calling Elite Orthopedics & Sports Medicine.
