Carl Schurz High School



How do broken bones heal?by?Robert LambIf you experience?engine?trouble, you take your?car?to a mechanic. If your pipes leak, you call a?plumber. And if you fracture a leg, the usual course of action is to visit a?doctor. But unlike other things that may break in life, bones begin healing on their own before you even set foot in a waiting room.The human body possesses amazing healing powers that enable it to bounce back from a vast array of illnesses and injuries. Sometimes broken bones can heal so thoroughly within a few months that even an?x-ray?can't determine the original fracture line.Doctors often play a vital, sometimes lifesaving, role in a bone's healing process. But, these experts basically help the body heal itself. Doctors provide optimal conditions for bone repair and healing to take place. The rest is up to your?cells.But how does this amazing biological process work? How can a fractured limb grow back to its former?strength? To understand, you first have to take a closer look at just what bones are made of and how alive they really are.286319064127How Broken Bones Repair ThemselvesIt's easy to think of our bones as solid, lifeless matter where all of our living tissue just sits. But your skeleton is as much a living part of your being as your softer tissues and organs. The body stores minerals in the hard,?compact bone. It produces red?blood?cells in the inner?red marrow?and stores?fat?in the?yellow marrow.It's important to remember that your bones are constantly changing. Cells called?osteoclasts?constantly break down old bone so that?osteoblasts?can replace it with new bone tissue -- a process called?bone remodeling. Another type of cell called achondroblast?forms new cartilage. These are three of the primary cells responsible for bone growth -- and not just the bone growth you experience early in life. This constant bone remodeling gradually replaces old bone tissue with new tissue during the course of months.Almost immediately after the break, the body begins to try and put itself back together again. Doctors often divide the overall process into four phases:When a bone breaks, the break also cuts the blood vessels running down the length of the bone. Blood leaks out of these veins and quickly forms a clot called a?fracture hematoma. This helps to stabilize the bone and keep both pieces lined up for mending. The clot also cuts off the flow of blood to the jagged bone edges. Without fresh blood, these bone cells quickly die. Swelling and inflammation follow due to the work of cells removing dead and damaged tissue. Tiny blood vessels grow into the fracture hematoma to fuel the healing process.After several days, the fracture hematoma develops tougher tissue, transforming it into a?soft callus. Cells called?fibroblasts?begin producing fibers of collagen, the major protein in bone and connective tissue. Chondroblasts then begin to produce a type of cartilage called?fibrocartilage. This transforms the callus into a tougher?fibrocartilaginous callus, which bridges the gap between the two pieces of bone. This callus generally lasts for about three weeks.Next, osteoblasts move in and produce bone cells, transforming the callus into a?bone callus. This hard shell lasts three to four months, and it provides necessary protection and stability for the bone to enter the final stage of healing.But even in the best of cases, fractures often require medical attention to heal as smoothly as possible. 2553970-172720Medical Treatment for Broken BonesVarious complications can occur with fractures depending on the bone, the severity of the break and the person's?age. Children are susceptible to additional forms of fractures, but their bones tend to heal faster and more completely than those of adults.Infection poses a threat to any compound fracture, as the break in the skin can allow germs to enter. Broken ribs can potentially pierce internal organs, and the healing process itself can harm other organs or tissues. With all of these possibilities in mind, a doctor approaches a suspected fracture by following several steps to ensure the bone heals properly.Diagnosis: The first step involves the doctor determining whether a fracture occurred and, if so, the severity of the injury. The following steps of treatment depend on the physician knowing exactly what he or she is dealing with. Doctors generally accomplish this by examining the patient and inspecting the x-ray of the damaged area.Immobilization: Just as the body does its part to line up broken bones and limit mobility, a doctor must ensure this alignment. He or she further immobilizes the affected area with a splint, cast, brace or sling. Because a fracture may require further alignment, a patient might need anything from a?local anesthetic?to?spinalanesthesia?to temporarily lessen the pain.Traction: Simple immobilization isn't always enough to ensure proper bone healing. In the case of more complex factures, a system of weights, ropes and pulleys constantly pull on fractured limbs to maintain alignment.Surgery: Most fractures can be treated without surgery. However, some injuries require doctors to aggressively treat the damaged bone. Sometimes doctors perform surgery to remove foreign materials or bone fragments. The best way to stabilize certain fractures is to go in and align the bones with metal rods, implanted screws and pins. Some fractures, such as those to the hip and joints, require?artificial replacements.Rehabilitation: The same immobilization that keeps stress off the healing bone also leaves the surrounding muscles with little to do. This leads to the loss of muscle mass, strength and flexibility. Special exercise regimes allow individuals to gradually rehabilitate their newly healed limbs without risking re-injury.TYPES OF FRACTURESWhen it comes to broken bones, about the cleanest injury you can hope for is a?simple fracture. As the name implies, the bone breaks cleanly in one place with no other additional trauma. Other breaks that aren’t as easily mended:Compound fracture: The broken bone punctures the skin.Impacted fracture: One end of the fractured bone is driven into the minuted fracture: Part of the bone shatters into fragments.Greenstick fracture: A child's bone bends and cracks, but doesn’t break.Avulsion fracture: A powerful muscle contraction wrenches bone and tendon, forcing a fracture.Pathological fracture: Bones weakened by disease break with little force.Name: PD: DATE: How Do Broken Bones HealUsing evidence from the article, EXPLAIN in detail HOW broken bones heal themselves. (3pts)Using evidence from the article, EXPLAIN in detail WHY doctors are needed to help heal broken bones (3 pts)Using evidence from the article, EXPLAIN in detail HOW doctors can help heal broken bones (3pts)Write down 3 things you learned from this article (3pts)What are 2 questions you still have? (3 pts)Name: PD: DATE: How Do Broken Bones HealUsing evidence from the article, EXPLAIN in detail HOW broken bones heal themselves. (3pts)Using evidence from the article, EXPLAIN in detail WHY doctors are needed to help heal broken bones (3 pts)Using evidence from the article, EXPLAIN in detail HOW doctors can help heal broken bones (3pts)Write down 3 things you learned from this article (3pts)What are 2 questions you still have? (3 pts) ................
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