Things that Can Affect Fracture Healing

There are various factors that affect the fracture healing process. These factors are separated into two categories - local variables and systematic variables. Both of them affect the rate and the degree of the healing of the broken bones. When the fracture healing process takes more time than usual, it is called as delayed union. If the bones do not join, it is termed as non-union of the bones. Certain factors are responsible for these problems, including the following:

1. Systemic factors

*Age - Age is a major factor in the healing process of any broken bone. It is faster in children than in adults. The bones of a baby are made of cartilages also they have ability to repair and heal at a faster rate.

*Nutrition - Sufficient amount of nutrients are essential for the healing of broken bones. Nutrients like carbohydrates and proteins are required in adequate quantity. Vitamin C helps calcium to absorb calcium from blood.

*Systemic diseases-A person having diabetes will likely experience delay in healing.

*Hormones - Hormones such as calcitonin and thyroid also play a vital role during the treatment of fractures.

2. Local variables.

*Type of bone - Different bones take different duration of time to heal.

*Degree of trauma - If the injury is severe and it has damaged the surrounding tissues it will take more time to heal.

*Vascular injury - Due to vascular injury, blood supply is affected, which may result in delayed healing.

*Degree of immobilization - Immobilized fractured parts heal faster. If the fractured bone keeps moving, this may cause further injury.

The healing of fractures is influenced by multiple variables.

Some Facts Regarding Fracture

The duration of fracture healing is based on the type of injury suffered by the bones. It can be easily diagnosed in an X-ray.

There are many types of treatments for broken bones but one of the most advanced treatments is the use of EXOGEN ultrasound machine. The machine stimulates the cells of the bone to grow fast, so that they can form granulation tissues to form soft callus. This soft callus forms hard callus.

Several other factors also affect the treatment of fractures are nutrition, physical health level of the person.

I will definitely say that EXOGEN is a magic machine for those who are suffering from severe problems of fractured bones.

Stress fracture is a type of injury which cannot be referred as a complete type so it is classified under the incomplete category. It is a result of overuse of bones. The repeated stress on the bones may cause it to get cracked or fractured. It takes place near the ankle, legs or wrist.  It occurs commonly in the weight bearing bones. Bones of lower leg and bones of the foot are the major victims of this stress injury.

The duration of healing process depends on the extent of injury. It also depends upon the angle of the fracture or dislocation of bone. The process of fracture healing occurs in four stages-Haematoma formation, cellular growth, callus formation and ossification. When there is a fracture in bone, blood capillaries discharge blood around the fractured bone.

Callus increases the bone thickness as it covers the fracture area of bone. Osteoblasts keep in check the essential mineral salts such as calcium and phosphate ions are deposited properly on callus. These mineral salts helps in strengthening of callus. Osteoclasts help in smoothness of bones. This is called as the remodeling phase of the healing process.

Phases Involved in the Fracture Healing Process

Do you know what happens with the broken bone after you met an accident? Have you ever thought how the broken bones heal and what are the phases involved during the fracture healing process? This is an interesting process. I will let you know what happens after the injury and what the phases of fracture healing are. You can hear a cracking sound if you have a broken bone. The fractured area gets swollen and you will feel pain. 

 Also there may be an irritation or inflammation around the fracture. As soon as the bone breaks, it starts bleeding. You must consult a doctor immediately so that you come to know about the severity of the broken bone. After knowing the type of fracture you have, you will get proper treatment. But do you know that before the treatment has started, the bone starts a healing process by itself? 

There are three major phases involved in the process, such as the following:

1.     Reactive phase: It is known as the inflammatory phase. The vessels stop bleeding and a clot is formed called hematoma. The outer cell of hematoma degenerates and dies. But some inner cells called fibroblasts remain alive and replicate. They form a loose layer of cells called granulation layer.

2.     Reparative phase:  After some days of fracture the inner lining of bone periosteum   also replicate to form chondroblasts. These chondroblasts fill the gap in the broken bones by making a net-like structure. The fibroblasts in the granulation tissue also develop into chondroblasts to form the hyaline cartilage. The process continues until the fractured gap is filled completely. This process is called as callus formation.

Factors Affecting Fracture Healing

There are various factors that affect the fracture healing process. These factors are separated into two categories - local variable and systematic variables .Both of them affect the rate and the degree of the healing of broken bones. When the fracture healing process takes more time than it usually takes, it is called as delayed union. If the bones do not join, it is termed as non-union. Certain factors are responsible for these problems, including the following:

1. Systemic factors

*Age - Age is a major factor in the healing process of any broken bone. It is faster in children than in adults. The bones of a baby are made of cartilages also they have ability to repair and heal at a faster rate.

*Nutrition - Sufficient amount of nutrients are essential for the healing of broken bones. Nutrients like carbohydrates and proteins are required in adequate quantity. Vitamin C helps calcium to absorb calcium from blood.

*Systemic diseases-A person having diabetes will likely experience delay in healing.

*Hormones - Hormones such as calcitonin and thyroid also play a vital role during the treatment of fractures.

2. Local variables.

*Type of bone - Different bones take different time to heal.

*Degree of trauma - If the injury is severe and it has damaged the surrounding tissues, it will take more time to heal.

*Vascular injury - Due to vascular injury, blood supply is affected, which may result in delayed healing.

*Degree of immobilization - Immobilized fractured parts heal faster. If the fractured bone keeps moving, this may cause further injury.

The healing of fractures is influenced by multiple variables.

Average Fracture Healing Time

There are 206 bones in the human skeletal system .What would happen if one of these bones get fractured? No doubt you will be in trouble. A fracture can hinder all of your daily activities. If proper treatment and care is not given, it would possibly become an even bigger problem. It takes a lot of time to heal a broken bone. The fracture healing depends on the bone which is broken. I am going to discuss how much time a bone requires to heal up properly.

This is rough estimation. Remember the fracture healing depends on the affected bone. It will also depend on whether you are into drinking and smoking. These two things can slow down the healing procedure.

If the fractured bone has undergone a surgery, it will also take more time as compared to normal fracture. Here I am sharing a chart that can help you find the average healing time for your broken bone:

·       Collar bone takes 3-8 weeks.

·       Shoulder bone takes 6 weeks.

·       Ribs take 4 weeks.

·       Upper arms take 4-10 weeks.

·       Lower arms take 6 weeks.

·       Wrist takes 4-12 weeks.

·       Upper leg takes 12 weeks.

·       Lower leg takes 10-24 weeks.

·       Foot takes 3-12 weeks.

You can observe one thing though; the weight bearing bones of the lower legs take more time to heal. A fractured foot also takes 3-12 weeks because they support your body. The duration of the healing process is much longer in such cases.

The main thing that I want to discuss is that if you use that part of body more then naturally it will take more time to heal up. Actually, the white blood corpuscles in our body are responsible mainly for natural healing.                                                                                                                                   

Exogen and Fracture Healing

Exogen is an ultrasound machine. It was made by Smith and Nephew. It is a machine which accelerates the fracture healing. The ultrasound is needed for 20 minutes each day at the injury site. This treatment can stimulate your bone and heal the fracture at a faster speed.

It has proven to be helpful in the non-union fractures that will not heal.

- The freshly broken bone is healed 38% faster with the use of Exogen than the other methods used for fracture healing.

- In case of non –unions, the healing speed is 86%.

- It takes 20 minutes of your time daily.

With the use of the Exogen machine, you direct the ultrasound waves at the fractured bones just for 20 minutes. You have to repeat the process daily. The Exogen Kit contains a foot strap, ultrasound machine, two bottles of ultrasound coupling gel, and a booklet of instructions. Exogen is a wonderful machine for many fractured patients. This new healing system can be used by the patient at home. The technology used in Exogen system is already proven to be very successful and works with all types of broken bones.

It helps to speed up the healing process, which may be delayed by the intake of alcohol and smoking. It also helps patients suffering from systemic diseases like obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis.

These risk factors can be lower in the healing process of a broken bone when Exogen is used. Exogen ultrasound accelerates the speed up to 50% even among the patients who smoke. It is a revolutionary machine in treating fractured bones.

Effective ways for faster fracture healing

According to the medical science, on an average one person can a have two fractures in lifetime. Have you ever met any kind of accident that led to fractured bones in your life? Are you going through the painful fracture healing procedure? I am sure you are eager to know a remedy to increase the speed of the healing process. It usually takes about 4-8 weeks depending on the type, location and severity of the broken bone. This could be a long procedure which limits the mobility of a person. You are restricted to your home and unable to do your daily activities as you used to perform. So, it is important that your fractured bone heals faster and you get back to your work as soon as possible.

Here I am going to tell you some effective ideas to speed up the fracture healing process.

·       Green tea

You all are aware about the benefits of the green tea. I will let you know some more benefits of drinking green tea. In China, green tea has medicinal use. Traditional Chinese used green tea for healing fractured bones. It has anti-oxidants and some healing properties. So, drink at least 5 cups of green tea for faster healing of any broken bone.

·       Gentle massage near the injury site

Massaging improves the blood circulation near the injury. More blood supply will enhance more supply of nutrients and healing factors to the location of the injury. This process will help in repairing the fractured bones at fast speed.

·       Exercise

Regular exercise increases the strength of the muscles. The muscles around the fractured site become weak mainly due to splinting and casting as movement of affected parts get reduced. Therefore, exercise will definitely make muscles strong and increase the speed of healing.

·       Heat therapy

Another way to increase blood circulation is heat therapy. You can cover your fractured area with warm clothes or you can use a hot water bag. Apply heat at the injury point for 30 minutes, 3 times a day.

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.

What Happens During the Healing of a Fracture

Our skeletal system is made up of bones. It plays an important role in the proper functioning and movement of our body. Muscles attached to the bones support them in movement and in staying upright. Bony structures like ribcage, skull and pelvic girdle protect our sensitive organs from jerks and damages, the bone marrow stores minerals and lipids. Red and white blood cells are produced in the cavity of many bones. Bone matrix, the inter-cellular substance of bone; consist of mineral salts such as calcium, calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate and collagen fibers, ground substance which holds the minerals together. All these together make bones strong and little bit flexible.

A constant dynamic process of degeneration and regeneration of the bones continue in our body. Osteoblasts are the cells which on maturity forms Osteocytes and are responsible for the formation of bones.  Accidentally, when there is a fracture in a bone, osteoblasts release minerals which are carried by blood to the site. It helps in the regeneration of bones. If the blood supply is continuous and intact fracture will heal very soon. Healing of fracture also depends on the body's own healing power and health of the individual.

 The bone surface becomes active after the fracture and forms a collar of cartilage and bone around   the break. Osteoblasts, cartilages, and spongy tissues help in closing the internal pan of the fractured bone. Later they develop into new bone matrix, which strengthens the fractured area. After sometime the bone gets repaired and the healed area in the bone becomes stronger than the original bone.

Tips to Speed Up the Process of Fracture Healing

We all are part of the society which is impatient by nature. Being a part of the current society, we all suffer from this.  We often want instant gratification, as evident in all the instant foods and things that we have now. We believe in now, nor in later. No one wants to be patient but if it happens then you will certainly need a fast treatment to recover.

When I was young I had a fracture. I faced so many problems. I was restricted from moving out of my home. I could not go to school as well. I was not even supposed to play. The doctor applied cast over the fractured bone in my leg. Naturally, I was also disturbed due to that. I did not want to remain as a patient for long time.

I was really disappointed when I was unable to attend the cultural function of my school. Only 45 days were left for the final examination. The fracture healing process required at least 60 days. I already started looking for tips to hasten the healing time of my fractured leg.

Here are some tips which would help you to recover faster from the injury:

·       If you are a chain smoker, stop smoking.

·       Keep a check on the intake of calcium.

·       Eat a balanced diet essential for your body.

·       Follow the treatment recommended by doctors.

·       Drink green tea.

·       Exercise regularly as directed by the physician.

·       Use of heat therapy is helpful.

·       Take your medicines on time.

These tips will really prove helpful in faster fracture healing so can you can get back to school or work soon.

Problems Encountered During Fracture Healing

The process of fracture healing is the same in all kinds of fractures.  The bone has various phases of bone healing. There are four main phases involved in the process of bone regeneration after an injury to the bone. Following are the phases of bone healing:

1.     Inflammation. This is the first phase which includes bleeding of the bone after injury.

2.     Soft callus. A soft callus or granulation tissue is formed by the osteoblasts in the bone.

3.     Hard callus. The soft callus converts into hard callus after the deposition of minerals over the callus.

4.     Bone remodeling. This phase involves the remodeling of the bone.

Although, the procedure of bone healing is same for all type of fractures, the time required for the healing to happen completely can differ in some conditions. It can be slow depending on the extremity of the fracture. Problems may arise during the healing process too.

Here I am going to tell you about the possible problems that may occur during the healing of the fractured bone. Whenever you have this injury to the bone, it becomes a bigger problem if not treated properly.

It could experience compartment syndrome.  This syndrome occurs after you have a severe injury. The fractured site would swell so much. This swelling applies pressure on the blood vessels. They would not be able to supply enough blood to the muscles at the injured area. The muscles can die and eventually result in long term disability.

Another possible complication during the healing process is when the arteries and blood vessels around the fractured bone are damaged. In this case, healing of the bone would even be slower.

Does Surgery Help in Faster Fracture Healing?

The human beings are impatient by nature. They wants thing now, not later. This is a human nature and this is also applicable in medical science. Scientist invents new techniques to save time and perform the function on faster track.

When a patient having a fracture is asked to rest for a long duration, he becomes impatient. He wants to recover as soon as possible. He asks doctor for faster process of the fracture healing treatment. If doctor suggests splinting and casting for few months, he will ask for surgery. People often think that surgery helps in faster healing of the fractured bone.

Do you think that the surgery will help in faster fracture healing? It does not actually guarantee help in the faster healing of bones. Surgery is done if there is any requirement for it, such as in the case of open fracture or when you have multiple segments of the broken bone. In these types of fractures the bones are repositioned by surgery. In multiple fractured bones, all the broken segments of the bone are pinned up in a line to set the position of the bone before casting. In these types of conditions, surgery may become beneficial but it is not relevant in all type of fractures.

The blood circulation to the injury area plays an important role in faster healing. Exercise helps in better blood circulation. This blood carries essential components required for the repair and regeneration of bone. If the blood circulation is slow down due to any reason, it would become harmful.

How Smoking Affects Fracture Healing

A few months back, I went to my friend's place to meet him. He had a bone fracture in the tibia, the bone of the lower leg. When I reached his home I saw my friend smoking, lying on the bed. I already knew that he has a bad habit of smoking. I asked him not to smoke. I told him that cigarette smoking is not only dangerous to his health but it also lowers the speed of the fracture healing process.  He started laughing at me. He said to me that there is no relation between the healing process and cigarette smoking.

I told him about an article which I read. In that article it was mentioned that smoking can create hurdles in the process of fracture healing. Cigarette has harmful components which can slow down the process of healing and it also affects the ligament injury associated with the broken bone.

Smoking not only causes cancer. It may also lead to bone thinning and hip fracture. Smoking reduces the blood circulation in the arms and legs. Blood circulation is a must for the regeneration of the bone after being injured because blood carries essential nutrient to fractured area.

I told him to quit from cigarette smoking if he wants a faster recovery of his fracture. I also told him about the tips which can help him in the faster healing of his broken bone. I told him about the uses of green tea. Green tea has long been used by traditional Chinese in case of fractured bones.

What You Need to Know About Exogen as Fracture Treatment

I asked my doctor about EXOGEN-fracture healing treatment system last year when I broke my fibula. The fibula is the bone in the lower legs. Fibula and tibia are considered as the weight bearing bones. Therefore, all kinds of movement were prohibited and I was ordered bed rest for a long time. I wanted a fast mechanism which could heal my fracture at an even faster speed. Just like me nobody wants to remain patient for the long time.

Doctor said that he often used EXOGEN-fracture healing system in various cases. Athletes who play basketball and football need faster fracture treatment to recover from the injury and get back to training or playing.  He said that Exogen-ultrasound treatment will reduce the fracture healing time in half. It will take about three weeks duration in the treatment of fracture. The normal procedure will take about 6-8 weeks.

The treatment would cost up to $3-5k. I decided to go for the EXOGEN fracture treatment. I was afraid, but the doctor told me that this ultrasound treatment will prove helpful in my case. Actually I felt that my bone was not healing properly in a cast. Doctor told me that there is 86% success in this case. I believed the doctor and I said yes to EXOGEN-ultrasound fracture treatment. Doctor convinced me that it is best method for treating fractured bones by ultrasound waves. I chose this treatment it saved my precious time, which is more valuable than money. By the end of sixth week my fracture healed properly. At its eighth week, I was back to work

Understanding How Fracture Healing Could Happen Naturally

Do you what happens immediately when your bone is broken? What is the procedure going on inside the bone while it is healing after a fracture? The bones do not have a rigid structure as we all see them. They play an important role in the body. They not only form a skeleton, which gives shape to the body and provide mobility, but it also helps in other essential procedures.  They have a hollow cavity inside them as well as a bone matrix. These bone matrixes have the capability to produce blood content like white blood corpuscles and red blood corpuscles. These blood cells are necessary components of the blood. White blood cells are responsible to fight against the diseases while the red blood cells carry oxygen to the various parts of the body.

Bones have the ability to heal themselves. The bones carry out some physical and chemical processes to repair themselves. There are some cells are present on the inner surface of bone called osteoblasts.  The surface is called as periosteum. This layer also forms chondroblasts which helps in the process of fracture healing.

Several phases of reparation and regeneration take place in the process of healing. The process of fracture healing depends upon the angle of the bone fracture. It also depends on the fitness of the individual person. Age is another factor responsible for the healing speed. It is faster in children as compared to the adults.

But aside from letting your bone heal naturally, you can always get your doctor to help you find the right treatment to hasten the healing process. This is when common treatments such as splinting, casting, and even surgery come in.

All About Fracture Diagnosis and Healing

Stress fracture occurs in weight bearing bones of your body. As a result for better recovery your activities related to the movement of these bones are restricted. Rest is the only remedy for stress fracture. It is done to prevent further injury and fast recovery.

When you are trying to heal a fracture using a cast, the bone inside it remains swollen for many days; a pressure can build inside causing more pain. It can also damage some tissues due to the pressure inside the cast. So splinting has to applied over the fractured area first. After a week or two, splinting is removed and casting is applied. The casting remains intact until the healing process is complete.

Another type of treatment for fractured bones is surgery. However, it inhibits the blood circulation partially. Hence, necessary nutrients do not reach to the destination of fractured bone.  Thus surgery slows down the procedure of fracture healing. This is why surgery is done only if the injured bone needed support. It is only recommended in some cases. 

But before the doctor recommends some treatment, a diagnosis has to be done first. X-ray is the most common form of diagnosis for fractured bones. It will show only the swelled tissues near the fractured site. In instances such as in Toddlers fracture, the break in the bone might be very suspicious and not evident sometimes in radiographs and X-rays.

To avoid any problem, the radiograph has to be done again and the previous result is matched with the new film. The injury would likely be detected and the treatment begins.