Trauma Week Day 2 Dr Slauterbeck

Dr. Jimmy Slauterback is an Orthopedic Surgeon, originally from Ohio. He attended Arizona State where he participated in their football program and majored in Chemistry. He also attended the University of Arizona for the medical school program. After completing four years he completed a Post Doc fellowship in sport medicine at UCLA. The information regarding this trauma week scene is a 17 year old male that has obtained an open tib/fib fracture from a football player collision. While in the ER, a splint, X-rays, antibiotics, and a saline solution cleaning were all administered to the patient while waiting for a treatment method to be determined. When contacting an orthopedic surgeon, specialized words helped determine the seriousness of the injury and what route should be taken. Pertaining to a complete break, the Proximal is the piece closest to the head and the Distal is the piece below. Words like disposition, angulated, displaced, and distracted are a few of the words used to describe the alignment of the bones. In the OR multiple steps were taken to ensure the security of the surgery. In our patients scenario mud, manuer, grass, and dirt could have easily infected the open-wound tibia shaft fracture. The OR is where the real measure of sterilization was taken into hand. ORs typically run through 9 liters of Saline solution in attempt to sanitize the wound, as well as trying to fully removing foreign particles and dead skin cells with a scalpel. After this process, the next objective was to stabilize the bone so it can heal in its natural position. There are typically three methods of stabilization: Plate, Rod, and External Fixator. A plate would align on the tense-load side of the tibia, supporting the pressure of the bone until it is healed. A rod would be placed directly in the center of the bone and serve as a tension-bearing element. However the surgery best fit for our patient was the External fixator. It is a temporary brace connected to the bone, however the brace remains external from the body. Screws are placed through the skin and into the bone, this was the most sanitary stabilizer that can be applied to this specific tibia shaft fracture. After two weeks of an external fixator, it will be removed and the bone will be stabilized with a rod.