Today our topic of discussion is Methods of Applying Traction .
Methods of Applying Traction
Methods of Applying Traction
- Manually: It is applied by pulling on the part with hands It may be applied for various therapeutic purposes, eg correcting dislocation or reduction of a fracture or for giving emergency care to an injured person .
- Mechanical traction: It can be applied to either skin or bones, i.e. skin traction or skeletal tractions, e.g. with special halters, splints, bandages, ropes; pulleys and weights.
- Plaster traction: It may be accomplished by the use of torn buckle casts or hyperextension casts. Also, skeletal traction can be applied by fixing the ends of Kirschner wires or Skinman’s pins in plaster when applying a cast .
- Tractions: It may also be applied with special brace, eg hyperextension braces .
- Straight or running traction: In this the pulling force is applied in a straight line with the body past resting on the bed, e.g. bucks extension traction and pelvic traction.
- Balanced suspension traction: It supports the extremity, being treated, off the bed and allows for the patient’s mobility, without disruption of the line of pull.
Classification of Traction
Skin Traction
Using patient’s body weight as counter traction. Application of a pulling force to the skin and soft tissues by means of adhesive plaster and bandages.
Skeletal Traction
Application of pulling forces directly to the bone by the use of a metal pins or wires, e.g. Steinmann pin, and Kirschner’s wire.Both skin and skeletal traction can be: Fixed traction: This is pulling force between two fixed points. Balanced traction: In this, the metal weights are used as the traction and the patient’s body weight as the counter traction.
Read more: