OIP: Your Fracture Care & Orthopedic Trauma Center in Central PA
When traumatic injury or fractures happen, it’s important to know your options for immediate care and ongoing treatment. The trauma and fracture care team at Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania is comprised of trauma and orthopedic experts with experience treating a wide variety of injuries – from a simple fracture to an acute complex, traumatic injury affecting multiple parts of the musculoskeletal system.
Our network of providers work closely together to ensure timely treatment and appropriate follow-up care, including post-operative appointments, physical and occupational therapy, and braces and orthotics.
Orthopedic Trauma
Orthopedic trauma is a specialty branch of orthopedic surgery focusing on acute traumatic problems of the bones, joints, and soft tissues of the entire body (muscles, tendons, ligaments) that are a direct consequence of a severe accident, injury or fall.
The main goal of this specialty is restoring the anatomic alignment of the affected body part (joint surfaces, pelvis, and long bones) to allow proper bone healing, recovery and return to maximum functional capacity as early as possible.
At the Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania, our trauma specialist serves the Holy Spirit Hospital Penn State Health’s Level II Trauma Center in Camp Hill, treating acute complex traumatic problems of the bones, joints, and soft tissues that are a direct consequence of a severe accident, injury or fall. 
This immediate intervention from an expert trauma specialist can help reduce loss of limb and further life-altering complications.
What Is An Orthopedic Trauma Surgeon?
When a severe injury or accident occurs, you want the skills and experience of a fellowship-trained orthopedic trauma surgeon. Orthopedic trauma surgeons have completed a dedicated fellowship to learn how to treat in the best possible way patients with multiple injuries. They work in both hospitals and private practices to diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate injuries of the musculoskeletal system.
In the hospital and ER, usually at Level I or II Trauma Center, an orthopedic trauma surgeon works closely with the general trauma surgeon, who is primarily responsible for the resuscitation and stabilization of a patient who has sustained life-threatening injuries. The orthopedic trauma surgeon will assist with the management and treatment of injuries to the extremities, pelvis, joints, and soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, and tendons).
OIP’s orthopedic trauma surgeon, Dr. Erik Hasenboehler, serving at Holy Spirit Hospital Penn State Health (Level II Trauma Center) has completed several dedicated trauma fellowships to learn how to treat in the best possible way these multiple injured patients. It is because these polytrauma patients are at higher risk of complications, such as extensive bleeding, infections, blood clots and other life-threatening issues, that the ability to recognize and comprehend the patient’s entire health taking the right precautions, and to choose which injury to treat first without compromising the patient, is important.
Fracture Care
Bone fractures can happen at any given time to anyone. Most simple fractures are able to heal on their own after being set and can be treated in the office or at one of OIP’s convenient, walk-in Orthopedic Injury Clinics. However, for more complex fractures, a trip to the nearest emergency room is often required, as surgery is needed to ensure complete restoration of function. The specialists at OIP can work with you to determine if conservative treatment is best, or if your injury requires surgical intervention. The cutting-edge techniques utilized by our fracture care specialists ensure your broken bones heal the way they should.
Sometimes even a routine fracture will require surgery because of delay in healing or not healing (nonunion), or healing in a way that does not allow for the maximal recovery (malunion).
Why Do Bone Fractures Happen?
Though we like to think of bones as solid and strong, they can be susceptible to breaking. Bone fractures may happen because of a wide range of stressors, including:
- Pediatric Injuries – Seen in children when the bones have not fully developed yet and are forced to withstand physical stressors (accidents), causing them to fracture: i.e Greenstick fracture (bone bends without fully breaking).
- Medical issues – Conditions such as osteoporosis can weaken the bones, making them more susceptible to fracturing. Malnutrition can also be a cause of weakened bones.
- Accidents – Sometimes, a bone fracture is simply the result of a major, accidental trauma to the bone. This is often seen in car or motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, work injuries, or falls. Fractures are usually more complex (compound fractures), can be open or closed, and highly unstable.
- Sports injuries – It’s not surprising to hear that sports injuries can be a source of bone fractures. Athletes in both contact and non-contact sports may fracture a bone during practices or while competing.
No matter what caused your fracture, you can trust the specialists at OIP to treat you with the highest level of quality care. Fracture care has been a part of orthopedics since its inception. We can assess your injury and recommend a course of action that will help you recover as quickly as possible.
