Page 161 - ASOP ROT Study Guide

Fractures may be held in place by:
♦ casting - surrounding the broken limb with a hard 'coat' which holds the fracture steady,
♦ external fixation - an external 'bar' outside the body attached to pins sited in the broken
bones,
♦ internal fixation - holding broken bones together using screws and plates inside the body,
♦ traction - pulling on a broken limb to align the bones
7.5.1 Casting
Once the fracture is manipulated, the holding exercise may simply involve placing the limb in a
plaster of paris cast until union. The fracture must be held in the correct position by the cast and
it must be maintained at the proper length, neither too short nor too long as the latter position may
delay union. In order to ensure complete control of all dimensions of the fracture the cast must
also immobilize the joints above and below the fracture site, as joint movement may result in
distortion in one or more dimensions. There are other techniques for achieving this and they will
be discussed later.

https://www2.aofoundation.org/wps/portal/!ut/p/a0/04
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WjLW0!/?bone=Femur&classification=33-
A2&method=Long%20leg%20cast&segment=Distal
&showPage=redfix&treatment=Non%20operative

http://nurse-practitioners-and-physician-
assistants.advanceweb.com/Columns/Case-
Files/Axial-Loading-as-a-Cause-of-Tibial-Plateau-
Fracture.aspx

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