Fracture Care

At the Advanced Center for Orthopedics and Plastic Surgery, all of our physicians specialize in fracture care, including Dr. Dixon, Dr. Doppelt, Dr. Leonard, Dr. Taylor and Dr. Warlick. The Advanced Center for Orthopedics and Plastic Surgery has been performing orthopedic surgery, such as fracture repair, for more than three decades. That means your procedure will be performed by a team whose experience is virtually unmatched in Marquette, the surrounding Upper Peninsula, and throughout Northern Michigan.

Commonly referred to as a “broken bone,” a fracture can occur just about anywhere and can range from a hairline fracture that is practically unnoticeable to a compound fracture that is life-threatening due to the danger of infection or blood loss. Simply put, a bone fractures when the force exerted upon it is stronger than the bone itself. This typically occurs due to trauma, but can be exacerbated by age and/or disease (such as osteoporosis).

Fractures can either be:

• Displaced—the bone breaks into two or more parts causing the bone to no longer line up correctly.
• Non-displaced—the bone breaks, but the ends still line up correctly

Fractures are also either:

• Closed—the bone breaks (either displaced or non-displaced) but does not break the skin.
• Open—the bone breaks and one or more sections of the broken bone pierces the skin. This is sometimes called a compound fracture and is the most dangerous type due to an increased risk of infection.

Fracture repair can either be surgical or nonsurgical, depending on the break in question, and recovery can range from a few weeks to many months, depending on the severity of the original trauma. Regardless of the approach, the goal is to line up the various parts of the fractured bone and hold them in place so they can heal. This can be done with a simple external cast or with the surgical addition of pins, screws, and other devices.

If the fracture requires surgery, as with any surgical intervention, the patient typically has to undergo a recuperation process involving follow-up care and physical therapy, depending on the particular situation.

To learn more about what to expect when you undergo fracture care, please visit our surgery prep and recovery page.

Specialty Reference: 
Shoulder & Elbow
Hand & Wrist
Foot & Ankle
Trauma