Setting a Broken Bone Without Surgery (Closed Reduction)

What is a closed reduction of a fracture?

A closed reduction of a fracture is a procedure for setting a broken bone without making an incision (cut) in the skin.

When is it used?

Your health care provider may suggest a closed reduction if your bone is broken in one place and has not broken the skin and you do not need plates, pins, or screws put in the bone to help hold it in place.

How do I prepare for a closed reduction of a fracture?

Plan for your care and recovery after the operation is over, especially if you are to have general anesthesia. Find someone to drive you home after the surgery. Allow for time to rest and try to find other people to help you with your day-to-day duties.

Follow any instructions your provider gives you. If you will be having general anesthesia, do not eat or drink anything after midnight and the morning before the procedure. Do not even drink coffee, tea, or water.

What happens during the procedure?

You are given a local, regional, or general anesthetic to keep you from feeling pain. A local or regional anesthetic numbs just the injured area. Sometimes a sedative is also given. A sedative will relax you and reduce anxiety. A general anesthetic, puts you to sleep to prevent you from feeling pain.

Your health care provider pushes the broken bone into a position where it can heal properly. Your provider then puts the limb in a cast or splint to keep the bone in place.

In rare cases, your limb may be put in traction with ropes, pulleys, and weights to help keep the bone in place until it can be safely treated with a cast.

What happens after the procedure?

You may go home later in the day depending on the treatment and how you are doing. You may have a splint, dressing, or cast to help keep the bone in place while it heals.

Ask your health care provider what steps you should take and when you should come back for a checkup.

What are the benefits of this procedure?

The bone should heal in a normal position. You should regain the use of the bone and the limb it serves. This procedure should cure the pain of the broken bone.

What are the risks associated with this procedure?

There are some risks when you have general anesthesia. Discuss these risks with your health care provider.
The bone may grow together in a different way than it was originally and may not be perfectly lined up.
There may be a loss of feeling in the area of the break if a nerve is damaged.
If an artery is near the fracture, it could be damaged.

You should ask your health care provider how these risks apply to you.

When should I call my health care provider?

Call your provider right away if:

Your cast is too tight.
You have unusual or unexpected pain, or increasing pain not relieved by pain medicine.
You develop a fever.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIA File BJM3234F.HTM Release 9.0/2006