Orthopedic Trauma and Fractures
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A traumatic event like a car crash or workplace accident can leave you with serious injuries that affect your daily life. If not treated correctly, broken bones and other injuries could cause lifelong pain and limited function.
University of Iowa Health Care orthopedic trauma specialists provide expert treatment for fractures, damaged joints, and soft tissue injuries.
Their goals: relieve your pain and help you return to your daily life.
You'll get comprehensive, personalized care to treat your injury with the latest techniques.
We offer surgical procedures and nonsurgical options. We also offer rehabilitation to help you heal and regain function.
Our team has intensive training and experience in treating orthopedic trauma and fractures. Other orthopedic surgeons from all over the state send their most challenging cases to us.
Expertise in orthopedic trauma and fracture care
It's crucial to have an orthopedic trauma expert treat your injury as soon as possible.
If your injury isn't handled appropriately, it can take much longer to heal. You can also face complications, including:
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Infection
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Loss of function or mobility
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Nonunion, or a break that doesn't heal correctly
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Chronic pain or reinjury
The right treatment will help you avoid complications, heal faster, and have maximum long-term function.
Very few orthopedics providers are specifically trained in trauma care. But UI Health Care specialists are board-certified, fellowship-trained, and deeply experienced.
As leaders in the field, they use the latest techniques and are at the forefront of research into new treatments.
Even if you were treated first elsewhere, our specialists can provide second opinions or follow-up care. They'll assess your symptoms and recommend the approach that would work best for you.
On-site specialists for all phases of your recovery
Whether you seek care from the UI Health Care team immediately after your injury or later, our specialists will see you quickly.
Depending on your injury, your customized care plan could include the following:
We offer the full range of surgeries, from complex reconstructions to minimally invasive procedures that mean less time in the hospital and faster recovery.
Our physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other experts make a personalized therapy plan for you. The UI Health Care team includes specialists in every type of therapy, including certified hand therapists.
Custom splints, braces, prosthetics, and other devices can help you function better after an injury.
We have a specialty team that can create tailored plans to treat osteoporosis, a condition in which your bones become fragile and are more likely to break because of decreased bone mass.
An entire team of experts to meet your every need
Orthopedic trauma and fracture injuries can be complex and involve multiple parts of the body.
Our orthopedic trauma team works closely with other UI Health Care specialists to develop the comprehensive treatment plan you need.
If you have soft tissue injuries, our plastic and reconstructive surgeons may be part of your care team. They often perform procedures alongside the orthopedic team to get you the best results in function and appearance.
Infectious disease specialists help prevent and treat infections, which can occur with deep wounds or fractures that break through the skin.
Depending on your injury, UI Health Care orthopedic surgeons may also be part of your team. This could include experts in limb preservation, spine surgery, joint replacement, and other areas.
Orthopedic trauma and fractures treatments
Surgical treatment options may include:
- Open reduction/internal fixation
- Closed reduction/percutaneous pinning
- Intramedullary nail/rod fixation
- External fixation
- Revision surgeries for malunions and nonunion
- Total joint arthroplasy or revision
Non-Surgical treatments options may include:
- Casting
- Custom Splinting
- The use of other durable medical devices such as boots, braces, and non-custom splints
Orthopedic trauma and fractures conditions treated
- Acetabular fracture
- Ankle fracture
- Bimalleolar ankle fracture
- Both-bone forearm fractures
- Calcaneal fracture
- Clavicle fracture
- Compartment syndrome
- Distal femoral physeal fracture
- Distal femur fracture
- Distal radius and ulna fracture
- Elbow dislocation
- Elbow fracture
- Femoral shaft fracture
- Fracture infection
- Hip fracture
- Humerus fracture
- Lateral condyle fracture
- Malunion
- Medial epicondyle fracture
- Metacarpal and phalangeal fracture
- Metatarsal and phalangeal fracture
- Midfoot fracture
- Monteggia fracture-dislocation
- Nonunions
- Nursemaid’s elbow
- Olecranon fracture
- Osteomyelitis
- Patella fracture
- Pelvic fracture
- Proximal humerus fracture
- Proximal tibia fracture
- Radial and ulna fracture
- Radial head and neck fractures
- Radial shaft fracture
- Scaphoid fracture
- Shoulder dislocation
- Stress fracture
- Subtrochanteric fracture
- Supracondylar femur fracture
- Supracondylar humerus fracture
- Tibial plafond fracture
- Tibial plateau fracture
- Tibial shaft fracture
- Tillaux fracture
- Triplane fracture
Our Care Team
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- Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
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Please join us for Stepping On, a seven-week workshop series to learn important exercises and strategies to help prevent falls.
Building Confidence and Reducing Falls
What is Stepping On?
Stepping On is a program that has been researched and proven to reduce falls in older people.
It consists of a workshop that meets for two hours a week for seven weeks. Workshops are led by two trained Stepping On professionals who partner to provide participants with a quality adult learning environment. In addition, local guest experts provide information on exercise, vision, safety, and medications.
Fall prevention topics include:
- Simple and fun balance and strength training
- The role vision plays in keeping your balance
- How medications can contribute to falls
- Ways to keep from falling when out in your community
- What to look for in safe footwear
- How to eliminate falls hazards from your home
Why should I be concerned about falling?
Falling is very common; it can result in injury and shake your confidence. The threat of falling can be a barrier to safely doing all the things you want to do at home and in the community. That’s why preventing falls is critical to maintaining independence.
Fall injury statistics
- More than one-third of people age 65 or older fall each year
- Falls are the leading cause of hospitalizations due to injury among older adults
- 35 percent of people who fall become less active
- 40 percent of people who enter a nursing home had a fall in the prior 30 days
What Stepping On workshop participants had to say:
“When I’m walking I still think, ‘Lift your feet, walk heel-to-toe’. I have stopped falling outside! It has made me more aware of the way I walk.”
“Not only did we learn some things about preventing falls, but we had a good time doing it. It was really fun.”
Is this fall and injury prevention workshop for you?
Stepping On is designed specifically for anyone who:
- Is 65 or older
- Has had a fall in the past year or is fearful of falling
- Lives at home
- Does not have dementia
How do I register?
Stepping On is a seven-week, two hours per week, interdisciplinary workshop that covers fall prevention topics such as home safety, vision care, medications, safe footwear, community safety, and exercise. The exercises are aimed at increasing strength and balance. Stepping On has been shown to decrease falls by 31% in older adults.
Please contact Bailey Rickels at [email protected] for more information.