To my understanding, nowadays, the standard way to fix a broken bone is to attach all the pieces together with a metal plate and some screws.
But how did they come with that idea ? Did people thought that the first surgeon doing so was crazy when they went to the hardware store to buy a drill ? Or was it immediately accepted by the community ?
They probably thought “How do you repair a chair? With nuts, bolts and tools”. I bet if TIG-welding bones was an option, those dudes would do that.
Or even better: Mig weld. Although, instead of metal, I guess it would be even better to some how use Calcium, so as soon as someone invents a CIG weld, this should be explored.
I thought setting the broken bones and putting the limb in a plaster cast until it healed was the standard.
I would assume that a surgeon at one point saw someone repairing wooden framing or such and thought that looked like a good idea.
The first surgeons worked on cadavers like Dr. Frankenstein. They were equally as reviled.