ABSTRACT
Alignment Alignment is the overall ‘straightening up’ of the fractured bone. Fractures are not always anatomically reduced; surgical exposure to accomplish alignment may impair the biological environment for fracture healing. However, bones must be aligned so that function can be restored and the potential for healing optimized. Alignment is evaluated with respect to axial, cranial-to-caudal bending, medial-to-lateral bending, and rotation. Axial alignment is particularly important. This is the position of the proximal and distal epiphyses of the bone in relation to the central axis of the bone. Failure to re-establish the correct axial alignment will result in improper loading of the limb, lameness, and dysfunction.
