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 healthcare provider may suggest a closed reduction if:

• Your bone is broken in 1 place and has not broken the skin.
• You do not need plates, pins, or screws put into the bone to help hold it in place.

How do I prepare for a closed reduction?

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

Follow any other 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 anesthetic numbs just the injured area. A regional anesthetic numbs a larger part of your body but you remain awake. Sometimes a sedative is given with a local or regional anesthetic to relax you and reduce anxiety. A general anesthetic puts you to sleep.

Your healthcare provider pushes the broken bone into a position where it can heal properly. Your provider may then put 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 healthcare provider what steps you should take and when you should come back for a checkup.

What are the benefits of this procedure?

The bone can heal in a normal position. You will be able to use your broken arm or leg again. The broken bone should stop hurting.

What are the risks associated with this procedure?

• There are some risks when you have general anesthesia. Discuss these risks with your healthcare provider.
• A local or regional anesthetic may not numb the area enough and you may feel some minor discomfort. Also, in rare cases, you may have an allergic reaction to the drug used in this type of anesthesia. Local or regional anesthesia is considered safer than general anesthesia.
• The bone may grow back together in a different way than it was originally and may not be perfectly lined up.
• You may lose some 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 healthcare provider how these risks apply to you.

When should I call my healthcare provider?

Call your provider right away if:

• Your cast is too tight.
• You have unusual or unexpected pain, or increasing pain not helped by pain medicine.
• You develop a fever higher than 101.5° F (38.6° C).