Nonunion Fracture Repair & Pseudoarthrosis Treatment in Tijuana
When a bone breaks, the body naturally initiates a complex biological process to repair it. However, in some cases, the healing process completely stalls. If your broken bone has failed to mend months after an injury or after an initial surgery, you may be experiencing a nonunion fracture, medically known as pseudoarthrosis (a “false joint”).
At OrthoWellness, our specialized nonunion repair program is led by Dra. Miroslava S. Franco. Drawing on her advanced international training from the elite Paley Latinoamerica Institute, Dra. Franco specializes in restoring biological healing and mechanical stability to complex, unhealed fractures, helping patients permanently eliminate chronic pain and safely get back on their feet.
Conveniently located at Consultorio 1501B inside the premier NewCity Medical Plaza in Tijuana, OrthoWellness provides world-class, cross-border orthopedic care just minutes from the San Diego border crossing.
request an appointmentWhat is a Nonunion Fracture (Pseudoarthrosis)?
A nonunion fracture occurs when a broken bone fails to heal properly within the expected medical timeframe, typically six to nine months after the original injury. Instead of forming solid bone, the fracture remains unstable and may develop a layer of fibrous tissue between the bone ends.
As the condition progresses, a “false joint” or pseudoarthrosis can develop. Patients often experience ongoing pain, instability, swelling, weakness, and difficulty performing normal daily activities.
Because nonunions represent both a biological and mechanical failure of healing, they require specialized evaluation and treatment by surgeons experienced in advanced fracture reconstruction.
Types of Nonunion Fractures
Understanding why a fracture has failed to heal is critical to selecting the correct treatment strategy.
Hypertrophic Nonunion
In a hypertrophic nonunion, the body is actively trying to heal the fracture and blood supply remains adequate. However, insufficient mechanical stability prevents the bone from bridging the fracture gap. These cases often require improved fixation and stabilization.
Atrophic Nonunion
In an atrophic nonunion, the healing process has largely stopped. Poor blood supply, significant bone loss, infection, or biological deficiencies prevent new bone formation. These cases typically require both mechanical stabilization and biological stimulation through grafting or reconstruction techniques.
Causes and Risk Factors We Treat
Our team specializes in evaluating complex fractures that have failed to heal due to a variety of underlying causes.
- Inadequate Mechanical Stabilization: Previous plates, rods, or screws that have loosened, broken, or failed to provide sufficient support.
- Severe High-Energy Trauma: Open fractures and highly comminuted injuries that significantly disrupt blood supply.
- Infection (Infected Nonunion): Bacterial contamination that prevents normal bone healing and actively damages tissue.
- Bone Loss: Missing bone segments that prevent the fracture from bridging naturally.
- Poor Blood Supply: Reduced circulation that limits the body’s ability to regenerate healthy bone tissue.
- Patient-Specific Factors: Diabetes, smoking, nutritional deficiencies, advanced age, and other medical conditions that affect healing.
Our Advanced Revision and Reconstruction Techniques
Successfully treating a nonunion requires restoring both mechanical stability and biological healing potential. Every treatment plan is customized according to the specific cause of the failed healing process.
Specialized Fracture Revision Surgery
Dra. Franco removes old, failing, or broken hardware and carefully clears away non-healing fibrous tissue from the fracture site. The bone is then precisely realigned and stabilized using advanced titanium plates, intramedullary rods, or external fixation systems.
This process restores the stability necessary for proper bone regeneration.
Biological Enhancement & Bone Grafting
For biologically inactive fractures, bone grafts and advanced regenerative techniques may be used to stimulate healing. These treatments provide essential cells, growth factors, and structural support needed to restart bone formation.
Bone grafting can be particularly effective in atrophic nonunions and cases involving significant bone loss.
Bone Transport for Large Structural Gaps
When a substantial segment of bone is missing due to trauma, infection, or prior surgery, bone transport and distraction osteogenesis may be required.
These advanced techniques gradually generate new living bone tissue, allowing reconstruction of defects that would otherwise be impossible to repair using traditional methods.
Why Specialized Nonunion Care Matters
A fracture that has failed to heal affects far more than the bone itself. Patients often experience chronic pain, limited mobility, muscle weakness, loss of independence, and significant frustration after undergoing unsuccessful treatments.
Simply repeating a previous surgery without understanding the root cause of the nonunion often leads to additional failures. Successful treatment requires identifying exactly why healing stopped and creating a plan that addresses both biological and mechanical factors.
At OrthoWellness, every case receives a detailed evaluation designed to uncover the specific barriers preventing successful healing.
Benefits of Revision Nonunion Surgery
- Restoration of fracture healing
- Improved limb stability and strength
- Reduction of chronic pain
- Correction of deformity and malalignment
- Improved ability to bear weight
- Enhanced mobility and function
- Prevention of future complications
- Return to work, sports, and daily activities
For many patients, successful nonunion treatment provides an opportunity to finally move forward after months or years of unsuccessful healing.
Meet Your Specialist: Dra. Miroslava S. Franco
Dra. Miroslava S. Franco is a board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Advanced Traumatology, Complex Bone Reconstruction, and Joint Preservation.
She completed a high-specialization international fellowship in Reconstructive Surgery, Infections, and Bone Lengthening at Clinicas El Rosario / Paley Latinoamerica Institute in Medellín, Colombia. Her extensive global training in bone biology and limb reconstruction equips her to systematically diagnose why a fracture has failed to heal and provide advanced revision options for patients with complex cases.
Her expertise allows patients to access sophisticated reconstructive solutions that may not be available through standard orthopedic programs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I know if my broken bone has a nonunion?
Common symptoms include persistent pain months after the original injury, instability at the fracture site, swelling, and difficulty bearing weight. A definitive diagnosis requires clinical evaluation and imaging studies such as X-rays or CT scans.
Can a nonunion fracture heal without another surgery?
Some delayed unions may eventually heal with specialized non-surgical treatment, but a true nonunion or pseudoarthrosis generally requires surgical intervention to restore stability and restart the healing process.
What is the recovery process like after nonunion revision surgery?
Recovery depends on the location of the fracture and the reconstruction technique used. Physical therapy often begins early, while weight-bearing is gradually increased as imaging confirms successful healing.
Is nonunion repair surgery covered by medical insurance?
Yes. Because nonunion fractures are serious functional conditions, revision surgery is commonly covered by major health insurance plans. Coverage depends on your provider and policy details.
Why do some fractures fail to heal?
Nonunions can develop due to inadequate stabilization, infection, poor blood supply, smoking, medical conditions such as diabetes, severe trauma, or significant bone loss.
Can an infected nonunion be repaired?
Yes. Infected nonunions require a staged treatment approach that first eliminates the infection and then reconstructs the bone. Advanced techniques such as bone transport and biological reconstruction may be used when necessary.
Restart Your Healing Journey. Schedule a Consultation Today.
Do not lose hope if a previous fracture treatment has failed. Our specialized orthopedic team provides advanced evaluation and revision strategies for complex nonunion fractures and pseudoarthrosis.
Whether your fracture failed to heal after surgery, developed an infection, or has remained painful and unstable for months, we offer personalized solutions designed to restore healing and function.
Clinic Phone: +526643295110
Clinic Location: NewCity Medical Plaza, Consultorio 1501B, P.º del Centenario 9580, Zona Urbana Rio Tijuana, 22010 Tijuana, B.C., Mexico
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