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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{}
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- Copyright (c) 1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- Are Broken Bones Weaker After Healing?
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- 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?
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- 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.
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- 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.
-