A pulling or drawing force applied in opposition to another pulling force, often used in medicine and mechanics.
From counter- + traction. Traction comes from Latin trahere meaning 'to pull.' In medical contexts, countertraction developed to describe opposing forces used in bone-setting and injury treatment.
Orthopedic surgeons use countertraction on broken bones—one doctor pulls one way while another pulls the opposite direction to realign fractures, using opposing forces to heal instead of harm.
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