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Orthopedic Trauma

Accidents happen! When they happen to you, our team of orthopedic specialists is there to help you get back to your life. Our practitioners have extensive experience in fracture management and trauma care. Whether you break a bone, twist an ankle or dislocate a joint, your care typically starts with the emergency room or primary care doctor—our staff works closely with these providers to guide your care.

Orthopedic trauma is a branch of orthopedic surgery specializing in problems related to the bones, joints, and soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments) of the entire body following trauma. Its primary objective is to heal fractured bones, restore the anatomic alignment of the joint surfaces to allow for recovery and return the injured body part to its maximum functionality.

Treatment options

Many orthopedic traumas do not need surgery and can be treated successfully with splints, casts, braces and physical therapy. Once our physicians have spoken with you, examined your injury and compiled all of the available studies, we work with your primary care doctor to devise a treatment plan that best suits your need. We have on-site X-ray as well as instant access to all studies within the Cooley Dickinson Health Care system to assist in diagnosing your problem. We also have a full rehabilitative physical and occupational therapy program, so that you can begin the healing process immediately.

Nonsurgical Treatment of Trauma Injuries

Some fractures and dislocations, particularly of the clavicle, scapula, humerus, wrist, hand, and foot, can be successfully treated without surgery. Depending on the severity of the fracture, your physician may treat the injury non-surgically through an external fixation method. This method involves the use of splints, casts, braces, and other devices on the outside of the injury to stabilize the fracture.

Cast Care Instructions

Surgical Treatment of Trauma Injuries

An internal fixation method is when a physician performs minor surgery to place pins, wires, screws, and plates on the bone to stabilize it. Severe injuries may require more complex surgical procedures including bone grafting, limb lengthening, and complex reconstruction.

Conditions and injuries treated

Upper Body 

  • AC joint separation
  • Boxer’s (metatarsal neck) fracture
  • Buckle fracture
  • Clavicle fracture
  • Distal humerus fracture
  • Galeazzi fracture
  • Growth plate fractures (Salter-Harris)
  • Humeral shaft fracture
  • Monteggia fracture
  • Proximal humerus fracture
  • Radial head fracture
  • Scaphoid fracture
  • Shoulder dislocation
  • Wrist fracture

Lower Body

  • ACL injuries
  • Ankle sprain
  • MCL tear
  • Meniscus tears
  • Patella/quadriceps tendon tear
  • PCL injuries
  • Osteochondritis dissecans

Zoe Driscoll-Sbar: Student athlete, Northampton, '17

My favorite sport is softball. I love the thrill of the game and the teamwork it requires. There’s nothing like turning a double play or making a collectively good play with your teammates.

I’ve played softball for six years, but my first sport was basketball. During a basketball game my sophomore year, I pivoted and felt a “twist,” and went straight to the ground. It turned out I had torn my ACL. Dr. [Daniel] McBride at Orthopedics & Sports Medicine surgically repaired the injury. Following my recovery period, he told me that the only way I was going to get better and trust my knee again was to play on it to my full potential. I was nervous at first to go full out on my knee, but he was right; today, I am strong again. Dr. McBride did an amazing job and so did the Cooley Dickinson physical therapists.

Though I recently decided to focus on softball, I love both sports and am so glad I played both. I think the more sports you play, the more mechanics your body will be familiar with. Playing multiple sports helped me master many different movements and learn to control my body better. Different sports also can give you different kinds of hand-eye coordination and improve your overall athleticism.

There’s also the social aspect. Playing multiple sports introduces you to so many different people and is a great way to make new friends. I am so thankful for both of the sports that I have participated in, because they led to a lot of awesome friendships and taught me how to be mentally tough. Those are things I can keep for life.

Young female baseball player, Cooley Dickinson Medical Group Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, West Hatfield, MA 01088.