Mary suffered a fractured femur in a Fredericksburg, Virginia car accident on I-95. Her orthopedic surgeon at Mary Washington Hospital told her that closed reduction will not stabilize her bone fracture and ORIF surgery would be needed.
When a “closed reduction” of a bone fracture is unlikely to result in proper healing, surgery must be performed.
Surgery is reserved for complicated broken bone injuries such as a comminuted fracture (shattered into several fragments); unstable fractures; or where bone healing will result in malunion, such as bone healing at an angle.
The surgical procedure is called “open reduction internal fixation” and is abbreviated “ORIF.”
In the “ORIF” procedure, an orthopedic surgeon surgically places the bone fracture fragments back together - - a procedure called “alignment.”.
After being surgically aligned, the bone fracture fragments are immobilized with any of the following:
Complicated bone fractures of the long bones in the leg, the thigh bone (femur), the shin bone (tibia), and the calf bone (fibula), are often surgically treated with an “ORIF” technique using an intramedullary rod, also known as an intramedullary nail, abbreviated “IM.”
A long titanium metal nail is drilled into the center of the bone (the bone marrow canal). Screws at the top of the bone (the proximal end) and at the bottom end (distal end) are drilled into the bone to hold the IM rod in place.
The IM rod performs both functions of: (1) internal reduction (alignment), and (2) immobilization allowing the bone fracture to heal.
The IM rod also shares the load with the fractured bone rather than providing 100% support for the bone. This allows the broken bone injury to heal quicker.
Alexandria Bone Fracture Lawyer Gerald Schwartz is known throughout Virginia as an experienced personal injury lawyer focusing on broken bone injuries. Gerald Schwartz has 30 years experience representing the victims of bone fractures caused by high impact car accidents, truck accidents and motorcycle accidents all over Virginia, including Fredericksburg and surrounding communities. Gerald Schwartz is a Past President of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association.
Fredericksburg Bone Fracture Attorney Gerald Schwartz has a convenient location at 904 Princess Anne Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22404. For a free consultation with Gerald Schwartz, please call (540) 373-0400 to learn your legal options.