Traction (Subscribe)  

Account of halter traction and skull traction (tongs)

Various forms of massage, traction, and manipulation have been used in medicine throughout the world for several thousand years. Each modality represents an approach to treatment of the musculoskeletal and other systems sought by a steadily increasing number of people. While research on each of these modalities continues, a long-standing variable...

The skin can only take about 5kg traction in an adult. If more than this force is required to obtain on maintain a reduction Skeletal traction must be used. Avoid skeletal traction in children - growth plates can easily be damaged by skeletal pins.

Miscellaneous traction techniques
* Dunlop's traction is in the maintenance of reduction in supracondyar fractures of the humerus in children
* Pelvic traction for Backache
* Acetabular Traction

Traction produces a reduction through the surrounding soft parts which align the fragments by their tension. When the shaft of a long bone is fractured the elastic retraction of muscles surrounding the bone tends to produce over-riding of the fragments. This tendency is greater when the muscles are powerful and long...