Fracture and trauma care
Assessment and treatment of broken bones — from casts and slings to surgical fixation with plates, screws, or nails.
Also called: Broken bone treatment · Fracture fixation · Orthopaedic trauma
What fractures & trauma is
A fracture is a break in a bone. Treatment has one goal: to hold the bone in a good position while it heals, and to get the neighbouring joints moving again as early as it is safe to do so.
Many fractures heal well in a cast or splint. Others — particularly those that are displaced, unstable, or involve a joint surface — heal better and function better when they are held with plates, screws, or an intramedullary nail.
Who needs it
These are the signs that usually bring someone to a consultation about this. Having one of them does not mean you need the procedure — it means it is worth assessing.
- A fall or injury followed by pain, swelling, and inability to use the limb
- Visible deformity, or a limb that will not bear weight
- A suspected fracture confirmed on X-ray
- Fractures in older adults, where bone quality and early mobilisation both matter
- Follow-up care for a fracture treated elsewhere, including removal of implants
When surgery is not needed
A large number of fractures are best treated without an operation. The decision depends on where the break is, how displaced it is, and how stable it will be while healing.
- Undisplaced and stable fractures often do well in a cast or brace
- Some fractures in children remodel remarkably well without surgery
- The trade-off with surgery is faster mobilisation and better alignment against operative risk
How it is done at Poona Orthopaedic Clinic
Simple fractures — most wrist, ankle, hand and collarbone injuries — are assessed and treated at the clinic in Kondhwa with a cast, splint or brace and followed up there. Fractures that need fixation with plates, screws or nails are operated on at an affiliated hospital. A suspected fracture with severe swelling, deformity or an inability to bear weight should go to an emergency department first.
- X-ray and assessment at the clinic for the common, simple fractures
- Surgical fixation at an affiliated hospital when the fracture is displaced, unstable or involves a joint
- Follow-up X-rays and cast changes at the clinic in Kondhwa
- For serious injuries, the nearest emergency department first — then the clinic for follow-up
Recovery, honestly
Timelines vary between patients. This is the usual shape of recovery rather than a promise about your own.
First days
Pain relief, swelling control, immobilisation, and elevation of the injured limb.
Weeks 2–6
Regular X-rays to confirm the position is holding. Movement of the surrounding joints is started as soon as it is safe.
Weeks 6–12
Most common fractures show solid healing on X-ray in this window, and weight-bearing or loading is increased accordingly.
Beyond 3 months
Strength, stiffness, and endurance are worked on. Larger bones and complicated fractures can take considerably longer.
Questions patients ask
Most straightforward fractures unite in roughly six to twelve weeks, but it varies a great deal with the bone involved, your age, whether you smoke, and your general health. Regaining full strength usually takes longer than the bone takes to heal.
Usually not. Implants are generally left in place unless they cause irritation, are close to the skin, or a specific problem develops. Removal is a separate small operation when it is needed.
Keep the limb still, support it, apply ice over a cloth, do not try to straighten a deformed limb, and get to a facility with an X-ray. If the bone is exposed through the skin, or the limb is cold or numb, treat it as an emergency.
Joints stiffen quickly when they are held still, and stiffness can end up being a bigger problem than the fracture. Modern fracture care aims to stabilise the bone precisely so that surrounding joints can move early.
What patients say
Experiences with fractures & trauma live on the clinic’s Google profile, exactly as patients wrote them — we link to reviews rather than curating them here.
Related symptoms
Considering fractures & trauma?
Bring your X-rays or MRI if you have them. A consultation should leave you clear about what is wrong, what the options are, and what happens if you wait.