Guide to Fracture Healing

Fracture healing is a physiological process in which the body itself repairs the bone fractures. During the treatment, the doctor pushes the bone back to its original place via relocation, stabilizes its position then waits for the healing process of the bone to occur naturally. The duration of the healing process depends on the extent of the injury. It also depends upon the angle of the fracture or the dislocation of the bone.

The process of fracture healing occurs in four stages-Hematoma formation, cellular growth, callus formation and ossification. When there is a fracture in bone, blood capillaries discharge blood around the fractured bone. Within a few hours, the blood clots and hematomas are thus formed. Inflammatory exudates from the circulatory system into lesions or areas of inflammation ends.

The blood clot formed remains intact around the damaged bone and later it becomes the part of the bone. After sometime, fibroblasts and capillaries, with the help of connective tissues and blood vessels, release liquids in hematomas and granulation of tissues occur.

This granulation tissue is called as provisional callus. When Osteoblasts replicate from the inner surface of peritoneum, it forms callus. It is formed within a week. Callus increases the bone thickness as it covers the fractured area of bone.Osteoblasts keep everything in check so that the essential mineral salts, such as calcium and phosphate ions, are deposited properly on the callus. These mineral salts help in the strengthening of the callus. Osteoblasts help in developing smoothness of the bones. This is called as the remodeling process.