TRACTIONS

TRACTIONS	Description
Buck’s Traction	Used temporarily to immobilize a fractured leg
Russell’s (sling) Traction	Skin traction composed of Buck’s extension on the foreleg, three pulleys at the bottom, and a sling under the knee
	Affords more freedom of movement than Buck’s
Pelvic Skin Traction	Utilized to relieve lower back, hip or leg pain or to reduce muscle spasms
	A traction belt is applied snugly over the pelvis and iliac crest, and then   weights are attached
Balanced Suspension Traction	Utilized with skin or skeletal traction to approximate fractures of the femur, tibia or fibula. The balanced suspension suspends the leg in a desired flexed position to relax the hip and hamstring muscles and does not exert any traction directly on a body part. In balanced suspension, a Thomas splint extends from the groin to midair above the foot, and a Pearson attachment supports the lower leg.
	Client should be positioned in a low Fowler’s position on either the side of the back, with a 20 degree angle from the thigh to the bed
Dunlop’s Traction	Horizontal traction is used to align fractures of the humerus, vertical traction maintains the forearm in proper alignment
Bryant’s Traction	Used in children younger than age 2 to reduce femur fractures or stabilize hips
Cervical Traction	Used to stabilize a spinal fracture or muscle spasm
90-degree Traction	Is used on the femur if the skin traction is not suitable. The lower leg is put in a boot cast or supported in a sling and a skeletal Steinmann pin or Kirschner wire is placed in the distal fragment of the fracture.