Treatment and rehabilitation of fractures

Written by leading orthopaedists and rehabilitation specialists, this volume presents sequential treatment and rehabilitation plans for fractures of the upper extremity, lower extremity, and spine. The book shows how to treat each fracture--from both an orthopaedic and a rehabilitation standpoint--at each stage of healing.Introductory chapters review the fundamentals of fracture management--bone healing, treatment modalities, biomechanics, assistive devices and adaptive equipment, gait, splints and braces, therapeutic exercise and range of motion, and determining when a fracture is healed. Subsequent chapters focus on management of individual fractures.Each chapter on an individual fracture is organized by weekly postfracture time zones, from the day of injury through twelve weeks. For each time zone, the text discusses bone healing, physical examination, dangers, x-rays, weight bearing, range of motion, strength, functional activities, and gait/ambulation. Specific treatment strategies and rehabilitation protocols are then presented. More than 500 illustrations complement the text.