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CD-ROM Today (UK) (Spanish) 15
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01968.txt
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1994-01-17
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$Unique_ID{BRK01968}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Are Broken Bones Weaker After Healing?}
$Subject{broke Broken break bone Bones heal healed healing weak weaker
fracture fractures fractured strong stronger strength strengthen bony callus
accident accidents accidentally}
$Volume{}
$Log{}
Copyright (c) 1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
Are Broken Bones Weaker After Healing?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: A friend of mine broke his leg in an accident. After it was
treated with a cast and many weeks of keeping weight off of it, the cast was
removed. A few weeks later, he tripped and fell and the same bone was broken
again. Does this mean that when bones heal after a break, they are still
weaker than they were before the break? Is this true in every case, or was my
friend's situation an unusual one?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSWER: It would be important for me to know if both breaks were in the same
place, to provide you with an exact answer. The process by which a fracture
heals is a complicated one, but generally speaking, when healing proceeds in a
normal way, the healed site of the break is just a bit stronger than it was
before the accident. After a bone breaks, the body forms a protective cast of
its own around the fracture site called a "bony callus". It then cleans away
the dead bone around the break and begins to form new, healthy bone tissue.
This new bone is a bit thicker and harder than the original material, and so
is stronger. When the healing is complete, the bony callus is gradually
absorbed. It is possible that your friend suffers from any one of a number
conditions that cause bones to weaken, and so was more prone to fracture. The
other possibility is that he has just run into a distressing period of plain
bad luck.
----------------
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.