Physiotherapists in Newquay treat many different conditions including the issues profiled below.

Fracture Treatment

Fractures occur in a huge variety of forms and in a wide variation of severity from the small flake pulled of a bone by a ligament to an open fracture with many pieces. Treatment for a fracture reflects this variety, encompassing a spectrum from a minor reduction in activity to amputation of the body part involved. An important first assessment is to decide whether the fracture is closed or open, meaning whether the skin is intact or there is an open wound leading down to the fracture. Open or compound fractures need thorough cleaning and removal of any dead tissue and treatment with antibiotics to prevent infection.

The next issue to decide is the matter of displacement. Many fractures occur through the body of a bone but the whole bone remains in its original alignment and there is no displacement of one part of the bone compared to another. Healing should occur in as close to the original anatomy as possible so treatment aims to .reduce. a fracture, i.e. to re-establish to original position of the bone by manipulation and then maintaining the position by immobilisation. Fractures are typically placed in Plaster of Paris or other materials to hold the position for a number of weeks.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Sprain (ACL)

The anterior cruciate ligament is one of the four major ligaments of the knee joint which stabilise the joint against inappropriate movement in all directions. The ACL crosses the joint from above to below and prevents the tibia (shin bone) from slipping forwards under the condyles of the femur or thigh bone. It is a very strong ligament and very important for knee stability in activities and sports. It is most commonly injured in non-contact situations when the person is changing direction quickly such as in cutting or side-stepping in sport but can also be injured in tackles and other interactions involving another person.

Many people who have had an ACL injury report that they heard their knee go .pop. at the time, accompanied by a severe pain and an inability to weight bear on the limb. The knee typically swells up very quickly, within minutes or hours, as it fills with blood from the injury due to the rupture of the blood vessels in the ligament. Initial treatment is to splint the knee and perhaps remove some of the blood from the joint by a needle. Due to the risk of arthritis developing, the main treatment is almost always surgical reconstruction of the ligament.