What is it?
We divide fractures into open and closed fractures. In a closed fracture, the skin integrity over the fracture is intact, but in an open fracture, the skin integrity is disrupted and the bone tip is visible from the outside.
Open fractures cause excessive blood loss if the vessel is ruptured by the tip of the broken bone. They can cause inflammation due to contact with the polluted environment of the external environment.
Causes
Today, gunshot wounds and traffic accidents are among the most common causes of open fractures.
Treatment
What needs to be done urgently in open fractures are as follows: First of all, if there is bleeding, it should be taken under control. Then, the removal of dead tissues and foreign objects, called debridement, is the first procedure to be performed and must be done under sterile conditions. After debridement, this area should be washed with plenty of physiological saline until no dead tissue remains. If the wound can be closed with stitches, it should be closed. Then, the fracture in the bone must be fixed with the help of plaster, traction, or implants placed from the inside or outside. Broad-spectrum antibiotics should be used in open fractures with a high risk of infection. The duration of antibiotic administration depends on the condition of the open fracture. Again, in open fractures, lethal conditions such as general infection, tetanus, and gas gangrene may be encountered in the early period. In such cases, removing that area from the body, called amputation, is a saving surgery.
Despite all treatments for open fractures, delayed union, non-union of the bone and bone loss (defects) are undesirable situations that may be encountered.
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