Fractures are breaks or ruptures in bones or cartilage. These breaks are treated in different ways. The treatment chosen depends upon the type of fracture you have.

Most fractures are lined up correctly after the break, and only require you to protect the bone while it heals. However, if the bone is displaced, or not lined up correctly, your doctor may decide to "reduce" it. This means that they will try to line the bone up right. There are two types of bone reduction:
* Closed: This is when the reduction is done without surgery, usually as an outpatient.
* Open: This is when the reduction is done with surgery, using some kind of anesthesia.

Closed reductions of fractures are more common than open ones. During open reduction, pieces of hardware are placed on your bone to keep it straight. This hardware helps to make the bone stronger. Hardware for these procedures can include:
* pins,
* screws, or
* plates of strong metal, such as stainless steel.

After the bone is lined up, or if the bone did not need to be reduced, the break is usually kept in a stable position to allow it to heal. This can be done with a cast or a splint. In rare cases, traction is used to stabilize the bone. For some cases an electrical machine is placed on the outside of the bones where the break is. These machines slowly stimulate the bone to heal faster. They are used in severe breaks, or fractures where your doctor may be concerned about how your bone will heal.

Most people who have fractures do well. In fact, for most people, their signed casts are the only memory of their fracture!

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