What does an external fixator do?

We often see some patients with fractures wearing plaster or using some metal tools to fix the injured part. This tool is medically called an external fixator. The external fixator can fix the injured part of the fracture patient very well, which is very beneficial to the recovery of the injured part. Many people want to know in detail the role and working method of the external fixator. Let's take a look.

1. No matter what method is used for fixation, whether it is surgical fixation with steel plates, steel nails, or external fixation with splints, plaster, or stents, fixation is not equal to treatment. Fixation cannot make the broken bones grow callus quickly. The key after fixation is to use drugs that can help the broken bones grow quickly to help growth and healing, so that you can recover quickly. The focus of treatment is not to keep it fixed and resting, but to allow it to grow rapidly. Relying on immobilization and rest to help bone growth after a fracture has very little effect.

2. If the fracture is not a severe comminuted or severely dislocated fracture, traditional Chinese medicine treatment is used. Only manual reduction is required, and then external fixation with a splint is used. If the fracture is more serious and cannot be reduced by manual reduction, surgical plate internal fixation can be considered. After fixation, it is still necessary to actively use Chinese medicine for external application to quickly set the bones. For early fractures, the pain can be basically relieved after about 7 days of medication, and the swelling can gradually subside. The splint can be removed after about 12-15 days. The full course of medication is about 40 days, and normal life activities can be basically resumed. An X-ray taken after 40 days shows that the bone callus is growing well. Based on the X-ray, if the patient has not recovered basically after taking the medicine for about 50 days, then we should consider whether there is a problem with the doctor's level.

3. If Western medicine is used to treat a fracture, it is usually external fixation with plaster or internal fixation with surgical plates, steel nails, or external fixation with stents. After fixation, it is a long-term rest and slow recovery. During this period, you may also be given some anti-inflammatory, analgesic, blood-activating and blood-stasis-removing drugs, etc. Such treatment is very slow. The fastest time to recover is 3 months, the slowest is 6 months. However, some cases may take more than half a year or even a year to fully recover. How long it takes to recover varies from person to person.

The above is some information about external fixators. In fact, we are not unfamiliar with these things, but it is enough for everyone to just learn about this information. I hope that everyone will never use such things. So everyone must be careful when traveling, obey traffic rules and avoid injuries.