Surgical Fracture Fixation

Surgical Fracture Fixation at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Kurla

Some fractures will not set right on their own, however carefully they are splinted or put in a cast. Open Reduction Internal Fixation, or ORIF, is the surgical answer in those cases. "Open reduction" means the surgeon realigns the broken bone fragments with direct access to the fracture site, instead of moving them from outside. "Internal fixation" refers to the plates, screws, rods, or wires that hold everything in place while the bone heals. Together, the two steps turn a fracture that could not heal correctly into one that can. CritiCare Asia Hospitals is an orthopaedic hospital in Mumbai that treats fractures of every kind, from falls at home to road accidents. Open reduction internal fixation in Kurla at our hospital is explained in plain terms, so you know why surgery is advised and what it involves.

Symptoms That Suggest ORIF May Be Needed

A fracture does not always look surgical at first. A few signs often point that way:

Visible deformity or an obviously misaligned limb
Inability to bear weight or use the affected area at all
Swelling that gets worse instead of settling over the first day or two
Persistent pain that rest and basic immobilisation do not relieve

Imaging confirms what the examination suggests. X-rays usually show the fracture pattern clearly, and a CT scan is added when the break is complex or close to a joint surface. Our orthopaedic surgeons in Mumbai review the images with you.

Types of ORIF Procedures

The technique depends on the bone and the fracture pattern.

Plate and screw fixation, where a metal plate is secured along the bone with screws, commonly used for fractures near joints
Intramedullary nailing, with a rod inserted through the marrow canal of long bones such as the femur or tibia, favoured for shaft fractures
Wire fixation, using thin wires to stabilise smaller or more delicate fractures, often in the hand or wrist
Bone grafting combined with fixation, used when bone loss accompanies the fracture, giving healing extra material to work with

There is no single default. The choice depends on where the break sits and how far the fragments have moved.

What Causes Fractures That Need Fixation

Falls are the most common cause, particularly in older adults whose bone density has already thinned. Road traffic accidents account for many higher-energy fractures, the kind that shatter instead of cracking. Sports injuries, especially in contact or high-impact activities, add their share. Osteoporosis quietly raises the risk in all of these, because weaker bone breaks under forces that healthy bone would absorb.

Reducing the Risk of Fracture

ORIF becomes necessary only after a break has happened, so prevention means lowering fracture risk in general.

A diet adequate in calcium and vitamin D keeps bones stronger
Weight-bearing exercise improves bone density over time, and better balance reduces falls
Handrails, non-slip mats and good lighting make homes safer, especially for elderly family members
Bone density screening for those at risk, with medication when indicated
Helmets and padding for cycling, contact sports and other higher-risk activities

None of this guarantees that a fracture will not happen, but it shifts the odds.

Emergency and Urgent Care

Not every fracture needs immediate surgery, but some need urgent attention without delay: an open fracture where bone has broken through the skin, visible deformity, loss of sensation or pulse below the injury, or being unable to move the limb at all. These situations call for emergency evaluation and urgent fracture fixation.

Treatment Options and How ORIF Is Done

Once surgery is the right choice, treatment has three parts. Bone realignment comes first, with the surgeon repositioning the fragments into their correct anatomical alignment. Internal fixation follows at once, with plates, screws, rods, or wires holding that alignment steady through healing. Where significant bone has been lost, bone grafting adds material to support and speed healing, taken from the patient's own body or from a donor.

Before surgery, imaging is the foundation, with X-rays as a starting point and CT scans for anything more complicated. Blood work, a general health review, and anaesthesia planning follow, since ORIF is typically done under general or regional anaesthesia. During the operation, the surgeon opens the fracture site, realigns the fragments, and secures them with the method that suits that particular break. Afterwards, pain management and monitoring begin right away, with attention to swelling and circulation around the operated area. Movement starts gradually under the guidance of the surgical team, and physiotherapy is introduced once early healing allows.