Brace and screws insertion process and post-operative tips
There are a number of injuries and fractures that the bones can be exposed to, and therefore the installation of plates and screws is one of the best solutions for treatment, and we explain in the following article more medical details regarding the process of installing plates and screws in the arm.
The process of installing a bracket and screws in the arm
The bones of the body can be exposed to fractures as a result of a number of reasons, including direct collision or a strong fall on a hard surface and other factors that affect the bone and cause it to break directly, and fractures in the bone can be treated through more than one method, including splinting or using a medical scarf around the injured part.
The installation of plates, screws, and rods is one of the modern methods that help treat fractures in the bones, work on healing fractures, and restore the ability of the bones to move again, and the plates and screws are more suitable than fractures close to the joints, while the rods are more specific to relatively long bones.
Slides and screws are manufactured from materials treated in a medical way so that the body does not reject them or consider them a foreign body and begins to fight them. The materials from which the nails and slides were made are nickel and chrome mixed with iron as well as cobalt and others.
Procedure for installing the slide and screws into the arm
It is important that the patient be diagnosed well before starting the operation in order to determine the condition and know the location of the injury more accurately, and then there is a determination of the type of screws and chip that best suits the patient.
Fixation of arm fractures with screws and a plate can be done as follows:
- The operation is usually under the influence of general anesthesia so that the patient does not feel pain.
- The surgeon makes the cut or incision at the site of the injury after it has been identified by X-rays.
- The broken bones are joined together again through the splint.
- Pins are used to stabilize the fracture and bone to give an opportunity for healing.
- The surgery can take about two hours or longer, depending on the location of the fracture.
- The wound is sutured and the necessary bandages are applied, which will last for a while with the injured person.
- The patient is then returned to the recovery room to be examined again.
The duration of the process of installing a bracket and screws in the arm
The time required to perform the surgery varies from one person to another, and this is due to the location of the injury and the patient’s health condition. The process of installing a bracket and screws in the arm may take several hours and not less than two hours, and the patient may remain in the hospital for a day or two after the surgery.
Post-process slides and screws in hand?
After the process of installing plates and screws in the hand, the patient must reduce the range of motion of the affected part in order for the broken bones to be able to heal and return to their normal activity again, and this may require some time up to several months after surgery.
It is important for the patient to keep the bandages and the wound site clean so as not to be exposed to inflammation or infection and thus affect the patient himself, and the patient must take into account the exercise and physical therapy methods discussed with him by the specialist doctor before surgery because they stimulate the bones to heal and reduce the risk of stiffness.
How long does it take to lift a slide and screws in hand?
Mostly the patient does not need to remove the slides and screws after surgery, but in some cases, there is a negative effect, including swelling and pus formation around the affected part because of the slide and screws fixed in the bone, and it is lifted through a process that takes about two hours or more, taking into account that about a year has passed since the installation of the screws and slide.
