After a bone is severely broken in multiple places, the pieces are critically unaligned and unstable, and they need to be moved back into position and stabilized. One way to do this is through an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) procedure. Open reduction refers to an incision made by the surgeon to re-align the bone, whereas internal fixation refers to how the bones are held together with hardware like metal pins, plates, rods, or screws.

Generally, ORIF is an urgent surgery, and which is needed for severe fractures that may occur as a result of traumatic accidents or falls.