Bony Fracture Healing

Bony Fracture Healing – The stages of healing

 

Experiencing a broken bone is among the most painful and challenging things one can endure. Despite your bones being strong and robust, like all tissues, there is a maximal load capacity that it can withstand.

Thus, a fracture occurs when a force exerted against a bone is stronger than the bone can bear. Although causes of fractures vary with age and activity, falling is a major cause of fracture in all age groups. This can happen through sport, accidents or activities of daily living.

Common sites of fractures are usually around the smaller bones including the collarbone, wrists and ankles.

Good news is that your bones have the capability of healing themselves gradually through stages. However, without proper management and understanding

of the condition, the healing bones that are reuniting will potentially be out of alignment causing pain and reduced function.

 

 

Even better news is that physiotherapists can help you speed up your recovery and ensure proper return to functional activities!

Healing a broken bone involves four stages, each crucial for getting the bone back to normal. Here’s a simple breakdown:

Inflammation (First Few Days): Right after a bone breaks, the body goes into repair mode. Blood clots form around the break, and your body starts sending in special cells to clean up any damaged tissue and fight off any potential infections. This stage might be a bit swollen and tender.

Soft Callus Formation (1-3 Weeks): The body starts building a soft, spongy, unorganized framework around the break. This is like a temporary bridge made of cartilage and collagen, which helps hold the bones together but isn’t very strong yet.

Hard Callus Formation (3-12 Weeks): The soft callus gradually turns into a hard, bony callus. This is where new bone cells come in and harden the temporary bridge into a more solid form. This stage is important for providing stability and strength to the healing bone.

Bone Remodelling (Several Months to Years): Over time, the new bone goes through a remodelling process. The body gradually reshapes and strengthens the bone to its original form. Old bone tissue is removed, and new, strong bone is laid down. The bone becomes more like it was before the break, though it may take some time to get back to full strength.

 

In summary, healing a bone is a step-by-step process where the body first stabilizes the break, then builds up new bone, and finally fine-tunes and strengthens it. Each stage is essential for ensuring the bone heals correctly and functions well in the long run.

 

All-in-all, bone takes generally up to 6 weeks to heal. Majority of people get back to their sport/activities within 10-16 weeks. Visit your nearest physiotherapist to find out more!