General Principles

Knowing how to initially manage a fracture is a key skill to being an orthopaedic junior trainee The key principles ‘Reduce – Hold – Rehabilitate’ form the core mantra to the approach, and whilst there are nuances to each fracture to be aware of, these three words summarise patient management following a fracture.

Within fracture management lies the more important area of open fractures, which need urgent management and appropriate timely intervention. Open fractures are associated with a high risk of infection, and if not treated appropriately, can be catastrophic. Septic arthritis is another key infection-related pathology underlying orthopaedics, which also needs rapid identification and urgent management.

Compartment syndrome is a condition that is often taught right from the early days of medical school, mainly due to the fact that if missed, the consequences will be enormous. As such, ensure you read up about compartment syndrome.