Osteosynthesis is the reduction

Reduction (orthopedic surgery)

Reduction is a medical procedure to restore a fracture or dislocation to the correct alignment. When a bone fractures, the fragments lose their alignment in the form of displacement or angulation. For the fractured bone to heal without any deformity the bony fragments must be re-aligned to their...

 and fixation of a bone fracture

Bone fracture

A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...

 with implantable devices that are usually made of metal. It is a surgical procedure with an open or percutaneous approach to the fractured bone. Osteosynthesis aims to bring the fractured bone ends together and immobilize the fracture site while healing takes place. In a fracture that is rigidly immobilized the fracture heals by the process of intramembranous ossification

Intramembranous ossification

Intramembranous ossification is one of the two essential processes during fetal development of the mammalian skeletal system by which bone tissue is created. Unlike endochondral ossification, which is the other process by which bone tissue is created, cartilage is not present during intramembranous...

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Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen

Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen

Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen , also AO Foundation, commonly called AO is a non profit organization dedicated to improving the care of patients with musculoskeletal injuries and their sequelae through research, development, education and quality assurance in the principles, practice,...

is a major organisation dealing with issues of osteosynthesis.