Stages of Bone Healing
Stages of healing of a simple bone fracture.
1. Hematoma formation (mass of clotted blood) at fracture site.
Tissue in fracture site swells, very painful, obvious inflamation, and bone cells are dying.
2. Fibrocartilaginous callus developes over a 3 to 4 week period.
This process involves
-capillary growth into the hematoma
-phagocytic cells invading and cleaning-up debri in injury site
-fibroblasts and osteoblasts migrating into site and beginning reconstruction of bone
The fibrocartilaginous callus serves to splint the fracture.
3. Bony callus begins forming after 3 to 4 weeks after injury and is prominent 2 to 3 months following the injury. Continued migration and multiplying of osteoblasts and osteocytes results in the fibrocartilaginous callus turning into a bony callus.
4. Remoldeling. Any excess material of the bony callus is removed and compact bone is laid down in order to reconstruct the shaft. Remoldeling is the final stage.
