Buck’s traction [Gurdon Buck; L, trahere, to pull] , one of the most common orthopedic mechanisms by which pull is exerted on the lower extremity with a system of ropes, weights, and pulleys. Buck’s traction, which may be unilateral or bilateral, is used to immobilize, position, and align the lower extremity in the treatment of contractures and diseases of the hip and knee. The mechanism commonly consists of a metal bar extending from a frame at the foot of the patient’s bed, supporting traction weights connected by a rope passing through a pulley to a cast or a splint around the affected body structure. Compare Bryant’s traction.
