Fracture Care

About half of Americans will experience a broken bone by age 65, and the experienced orthopedic surgeons at Austin Sports Medicine provide fracture care to ensure a healthy healing process. With our doctors in Central Austin and Bee Cave, as well as with additional satellite physical therapy locations in South Austin, Cedar Park, and Pflugerville, Texas. Patients can visit a convenient location as they work toward recovery. To book a fracture care appointment, call the office or use the online scheduling tool today.

Why is fracture care so important?

Bone fracture treatment is vital to your long-term mobility and health because it aims to properly realign broken bone pieces, allowing your body to heal well and restoring normal function to the affected area. This helps you avoid complications like nonunion (where your bone doesn’t heal), infection, or more damage to surrounding tissues.

Fracture types include:

• Stress fracture: a fracture that takes place as a result of increased stresses on the bone from added activities or weakening of the bone.
• Stable fracture: a fracture where the ligaments, soft tissues and surrounding structures maintain the alignment of the fracture fragments. 
• Compound fracture: a fracture that breaks into multiple fragments.
• Open fracture: fractures where the bone breaks through the skin. These require immediate attention and typically need surgical repair.
• Oblique fracture: A break in an angled pattern. The bone may be misaligned.
• Transverse fracture: A horizontal fracture line, possibly with the bone out of place.

Fracture care at Austin Sports Medicine ensures the bone heals in the correct position to restore you to your activities of choice and reduce pain. 

How do I know if I need fracture care?

The symptoms of fracture include:

• Pain
• Tenderness
• Swelling
• Bruising or discoloration
• Being unable to move the injured part of your body
• A strange bump

In addition to pain, the area may not look quite right. If you suspect a broken bone, seek immediate medical attention.

Am I at risk for fractures?

Anyone can fracture a bone. They most commonly happen fron injuries such as motor vehicle accidents, falls, or sports injuries. They can also happen in the setting of weakened bones (oosteopenia or osteoporosis). 

What can I expect from fracture care?

X-rays can confirm if you have a broken bone. Austin Sports Medicine also offers on-site magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to provide a complete view of the area, and look for occult fractures, damage to cartilage and ligaments.

The team helps you immobilize the area and manage the pain. If necessary, the experienced providers can recommend surgery and focus on minimally invasive solutions whenever possible.

The time it takes your fracture to heal depends on several factors, including:

• The type of fracture
• How the injury occurred
• Which bone is broken
• Any other injuries sustained alongside the fracture
• The type of treatment you need

Severe fractures can take months to heal, but you can experience better outcomes with the support of a skilled team.

To schedule your fracture care appointment or learn more about how the team can manage your treatment, call the nearest Austin Sports Medicine location or request a consultation online today.