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Fracture
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A fracture is a break in a bone. More precisely, it is a disruption of the structural continuity of the bone's cortex, the hard outer layer, and it usually comes with some degree of damage to the surrounding soft tissues.
The moment it happens, the body starts repairing it in stages. First the torn vessels bleed and form a clot at the fracture site: the hematoma. That site then fills in with cartilage and immature bone, which hold it steady; this is called the callus. The callus is a sling the bone puts on from the inside.
Remodeling comes last: little by little the callus is replaced by mature lamellar bone, bone laid down in layers, and with that the bone regains its structure and its strength.
In brief
A fracture is a break in a bone: a disruption of the structural continuity of its cortex, usually with some damage to the surrounding soft tissues.
The body repairs it in stages: first a hematoma, the clot from the bleeding of torn vessels, then a callus of cartilage and immature bone that stabilizes the site.
The callus is a sling the bone puts on from the inside.
Finally, remodeling replaces that callus with mature lamellar bone and restores the bone's structure and strength.
Sources (2)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingFracture Healing Overview, StatPearlsPublished
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of MedicineFractures, MedlinePlusPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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