Fracture Reduction—Open Side Effects and Warnings

Possible Complications

Complications are rare, but no procedure is completely free of risk. If you are planning to have a fracture reduction, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:

• Nerve damage
• Infection
• Bleeding
• Fat particles from the bone marrow or blood clots from veins that may dislodge and travel to the lungs
• Need for additional surgery if the bone does not heal properly
• Reaction to anesthesia

Factors that may increase the risk of complications include:

• Advanced age
• Pre-existing medical condition
• An open fracture (broken bone is sticking out of skin)
• Diabetes
• Use of steroid medicine
• Smoking

Be sure to discuss these risks with your doctor before the procedure.

Call Your Doctor

After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

• Severe or unusual pain that is not relieved by pain medicine
• Signs of infection, including fever and chills
• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the incision site
• Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
• Numbness and/or tingling in the injured extremity
• Loss of movement in the fingers or toes of the injured arm or leg
• The cast feels too tight
• Burning or stinging sensations under the cast
• Redness of the skin around the cast
• Persistent itching under the cast
• Cracks or soft spots develop in the cast
• Chalky white, blue, or black discoloration of fingers, toes, arm, or leg

In case of an emergency, CALL 911.