Traction apparatus, Italy, 1501-1550
Traction was a common form of treatment for bone fractures. Force is used to correctly realign bones which have been broken. This early apparatus, made from wood, iron and leather would also have been used to treat dislocation of joints. Devices like this were developed in the West following the re-emergence of ancient Greek medical texts, which featured the technique. Traction was later used to treat orthopaedic conditions such as scoliosis.
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Glossary: traction apparatus
Apparatus for use in traction - the application of a pulling force, especially as a means of counteracting the natural tension in the tissues surrounding a broken bone (see countertraction), to produce correct alignment of the fragments.
The branch of medicine concerned with the preservation and restoration of the muscular and skeletal systems in the body.
The breaking of a bone into two or more pieces
The movement of a bone from its normal position resulting in loss of contact between the bone and the joint surface.