Fracture Care
Tadje Orthopaedics
Sports Medicine & OrthoBiologics located in Meridian, ID
Dr. Jared Tadje, a skilled orthopaedic trauma surgeon in the Boise area, sees a high volume of bone fractures, ligament and muscle tears, and other soft-tissue injuries at his practice, Tadje Orthopaedics. He has a strong referral network from the local emergency rooms and urgent care centers to ensure you get the right treatment. Our team also strives to keep open space in the clinic and surgical schedule to allow for the treatment of injuries that require immediate attention. If you live in or near Meridian, Idaho, and require fracture care, call the office to request an appointment today.
Fracture Care & Trauma
Fracture and Trauma Surgery
Orthopedic trauma surgeons treat acute injuries to bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and sometimes nerves. Some of these injuries are emergencies and require immediate treatment in a hospital. Fortunately, many of these injuries are isolated, low-energy fractures, which can be treated in an orthopedic office. Some treatment options include a cast or brace, or surgery, if necessary.
Treatment options
Orthopedic trauma injuries can either require surgical or nonsurgical treatment, depending on the severity and injury.
Nonsurgical Procedures: Non-surgical fractures or dislocations can be treated in the office with cast or brace, serial examinations with x-ray, and physical therapy.
Surgical Procedures: Some orthopedic injuries need fixation with pins, screws, or plates. Occasionally more complex treatments are required, including the use of bone-graft, multiple surgeries, and limb-lengthening.
What We Do
Shoulders
The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint, which allows a wide range of motion, but is less stable. A dislocated shoulder means the lining of the shoulder joint has been torn away from the bone. This injury is painful and makes movement extremely difficult. By stabilizing the shoulder, small absorbable anchors are placed in the socket, which allows the tissue to heal and reattach to the bone. Recovery time varies from 3 to 6 months.
Torn Rotator Cuff: When the rotator cuff tears, the upper end of the arm bone moves and causes impingement, making it difficult and painful to move. To repair this, small incisions are made to thread the tissue back down to the bone. The procedure is very common, and takes about an hour. Recovery time is between 6 months and a year.
Shoulder Replacements: This procedure is designed to relieve pain and lessen the possibility of developing a disability. It is typically performed to treat arthritis, which is wear of the cartilage lining of the joint. Recovery time is typically 6 months to a year.
Arms and Elbows
Broken Arms: Broken arms are a common injury, and usually occur from a fall on an outstretched hand. Commonly broken bones include: the radius and ulna (bones of the lower arm) and the humerus. Some of these injuries can be pushed back in place (reduced) in the emergency room, then held this way with a splint. Unstable injuries that cannot be adequately treated in a splint or cast may need surgery for stabilization.
Tennis Elbow: This common injury occurs with overuse from repeated elbow motion or lifting. This creates painful inflammation in the elbow tendon. Most of the time it is treated with physical therapy, rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories. Occasionally a portion of the tendon needs to be removed surgically. It can affect anyone, not just tennis players.
Tendon Ruptures: Usually this injury involves the upper or lower part of the biceps. Depending on the circumstances, surgical or nonsurgical treatment can be prescribed.
Hands and Wrists
Some wrist fractures are stable and can be treated in a cast or splint, but some displaced breaks require the bone to be set back into its original position. More severe fractures require surgical stabilization with pins, screws, plates, or rods.
Arthritis: There are two main types of arthritis that affect the hand: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is caused by the breakdown of tissues that leave the joint unprotected from the friction that occurs when it is moved. Rheumatoid arthritis breaks down the tissues and supporting structures around the joint. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder and causes stiffness, pain, and limited amount of movement.
Feet and Ankles
Broken, fractured and sprained ankles are a common injury. It can affect more than just one bone, which makes it difficult to walk. Injured ankles and feet are mostly caused by twisting or rolling your ankle, tripping or falling, or impact during a car accident. Severe sprains can feel like fractures, so it is important to see a doctor immediately upon getting injured. Symptoms of a broken ankle include: immediate pain, swelling, bruising, tenderness, deformity, and the inability to put weight on your foot. There are nonsurgical and surgical treatments, depending on the condition of the injury.
Torn Achilles Tendon: The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body and is used during most physical activity. An Achilles tendon tear can be treated surgically or non-surgically, depending on the case.
Hips, Knees and Legs
Hip Fracture: During a hip fracture repair (also called a hip pinning), surgeons line up the bone and stabilize it with screws, nails, rods or plates. In some cases of hip fracture, a replacement may be necessary. Hip replacement surgery involves removing the fractured bone and replacing it with orthopedic implants. The “ball,” or head of the femur, is removed to insert the metal implant. In some cases, the socket also needs to be replaced. Most people leave the hospital 3 – 5 days after surgery and require further physical therapy.
Knee Fractures: Common fractures around the knee include occur at the end of the femur, on the kneecap (patella), and at the top of the tibia (tibial plateau). Because these injuries involve a weight bearing joint, lining up the joint correctly is critical to allow return to function and decrease the risk of future arthritis. Early motion and physical therapy is an important step of postoperative treatment.
Femur Fractures: Thighbone (femur) fractures can be life-threatening injuries and can require surgical treatment for stabilization. Depending upon the condition of the injury, the following treatments may be used:
- Inserting a rod or “nail” down the canal of the bone. This is the treatment of choice in adults with closed growth plates.
- Traction: the leg is placed in a cast and sticky tape or a metal pin. This is sometimes used as a temporary treatment until definitive surgery can be performed.
- Casting: typically used on young children, where the cast goes up and over the hips and includes the other leg for stability.
- Plating: the surgeon uses a metal plate with screws to place and hold the bone in its proper position.
- External fixation: a frame around the leg is attached to the bone with pins. This is less commonly used but may be required in some circumstances.
Tibia Fractures: Shinbone (tibia) fractures are the most common long-bone injury, and range in severity from hairline fractures to open fractures, where the skin is broken. Closed fractures are common among runners and can be healed through a fracture brace. Open fractures are more severe and require surgery, in which a rod or “nail” is used to stabilize the fracture and align the bones to their proper position. Open fractures are more commonly seen after car accidents.
Recovery
Surgery recovery can include swelling, pain, and lots of rest. Swelling of the affected area is common for a couple of weeks. Keeping the limb elevated will help reduce inflammation. Pain will be present after most surgery, but taking the medication will help, along with icing the area. Recovering patients should take it easy with high intensity activity, but it is important to do low-impact activities such as, walking, stationary biking, golfing, bowling, swimming, etc. Recovery times will vary depending on the condition and procedure done.
How We Can Help You
Here at Tadje Orthopaedics we want all our patients to know that we can help them. We believe that patient knowledge about their injury is just as important as the treatment itself. We will help educate you about your injury and how to best treat it. Visit us today or call us at (208) 706-5988 to schedule a checkup and consultation to see what we can do for you.