It’s never fun to be in an accident of any kind but when that accident leads to a fracture injury, it can be devastating. Treatment can take anywhere from weeks to years – and in some cases there can be permanent damage. If you’ve been involved in an accident like this then it’s time you contacted a California personal injury attorney. Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas may be able to help you recover compensation you’re entitled to.
The first steps in the recovery process
When your fracture a bone, you need specialized medical treatment. The first thing you’ll do is have a physician evaluate you. They’ll take a look at your overall condition and see how serious the injury is. Typically this is done via x-ray or MRI. During this process, they’ll establish the exact location of the broken bones.
Once they’ve assessed the situation, they’ll decide on a treatment plan. They will consider numerous factors before deciding how to proceed, including which bones you’ve broken, where the break is, and the type of break it is. Regardless of the specifics, the goal is always the same: to get the bone back to alignment and keep it from moving until it has a chance to heal. This part of the process is referred to as “reduction.” The ends of the bone will heal by creating new bone around the edges that are broken.
There are many options in fracture treatment
Your doctor may choose one or more options to treat your broken bone:
- Cast. Also known as immobilization, this is the most frequently chosen type of treatment because the majority of bones can heal simply by being repositioned into a cast and staying in alignment while they heal. In some cases, a functional cast can allow some amount of controlled movement.
- Traction. A gentle, steady pulling action can align bones in a treatment known as traction.
- External fixation. In this process, pins or screws are inserted above and below the facture site. They are then connected to a bar on the outside of your skin. This stabilizing frame holds the bone where it needs to be so it can heal. This option is often used when there’s significant damage to skin and soft tissues and surgery can’t be tolerated right away.
- Internal fixation. This is a surgical procedure in which a surgeon repositions the bone and holds it together with rods and other special surgical metal plates and screws.
Depending on the type of treatment your physician recommends, you may need the services of long-term therapy and/or an orthopedic surgeon. You may need future surgeries and long-term care. This can result in significant medical bills. If the fracture was the result of an auto accident, a premises liability accident, or another accident in which someone else was at fault, then you may be entitled to compensation. Call Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas today at 909-982-0707 for your free legal consultation.
