Basic fracture management in general practice

Fractures account for approximately 1% of patient presentations in general practice. Uncomplicated, low-risk fractures rarely require orthopaedic intervention and can be treated exclusively in primary care by the general practitioner (GPs).

The aim of this paper is to improve the skill set of GPs to enable them to manage low-risk fractures in the primary care setting.

Three key factors underpin the safe development and deployment of a primary care fracture clinic (PCFC) in primary care practices: (1) understand fracture healing; (2) acquire a deep understanding of initial examination and management principles; and (3) have a referral network. The right referral network includes orthopaedic surgeons; allied health practitioners such as physiotherapists; and appropriate handouts. Additional considerations are having the right medical insurance; online and hard copy academic and clinical references; and adequate consumables.