What is a callus after a fracture?
To understand what a bone callus is after a fracture , you should know what the bones are made of. They are made of plates and periosteum. The latter is necessary to restore the damaged area in case of a fracture. It forms a callus. This can become a problem, but only if problems arose during the treatment, and this led to pathology. Bone callus after a fracture is a way of tissue healing.
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What is bone tissue?
Bone is tissue that connects bones. It consists of:
- The cells that make up the bone.
- Organic skeleton of bones.
- A substance found between cells.
There are several types of bone cells:
- Osteoblast. This is a cell that grows, thereby creating bone.
- Osteoclast. Their function is opposite to the first. They break bones. Both types of cells are constantly working to break down and create bones. Thanks to this, a person gets used to the loads.
- Osteocyte. They arise from osteoblasts. They are found in the intercellular substance. Their function is tissue metabolism.
- Osteogen. They promote the formation of new osteoblasts and osteoclasts.
The composition of the bone includes:
- Cells. Occupy no more than 3 percent.
- intercellular substance. About 90 percent.
- Minerals. 5 percent.
Resilience
Once damaged, the tissue begins to regenerate, allowing the bones to fuse together.
Regeneration is divided into two types:
- physiological type. The regeneration process is constant, but very slow. This function appears in a healthy body, after the onset of tissue aging. One example of such regeneration is peeling and flaking of the skin. This type of recovery does not affect the nervous system in any way.
- Reparative, on the contrary, contributes to the appearance of stress if the tissue has been damaged or lost. The duration of this process depends on the degree of damage, the type of tissue and its functions.
A broken bone means a tear in the tissue, resulting in severe pain.
Recovery process
There are several steps in tissue repair:
- Restoration of the original form.
- Restoration of essential enzymes and minerals.
- In the final stage, the tissue begins to function.
The damaged tissue will take a long time to heal. It all depends on:
- The age of the person.
- How healthy is the body? Are there any other diseases?
- Immunity.
- Method of treatment.
- How well the blood transfers enzymes to the damaged area.
callus
Directly it is impossible to carry out reparative processes between elements. Only the periosteum can contribute to this. When broken, it helps heal bones by creating calluses.
First, the subperiosteal sections are restored. Then the inside of the bones. In the end, the fragments themselves grow together.
In this case, growths appear on the damaged area. They can be of different sizes and arranged randomly. During recovery, the growths gradually disappear, and only one remains at the fracture site. This is the bone marrow. It is clearly visible if the collarbone is broken, because it is located directly under the skin.
Types of callus
There are several types of callus:
- The rest. Appear on the outer part of the bones. They recover quickly, because they are well supplied with blood.
- Endo-rest. It is located in the inner part of the bones, next to the bone marrow valve.
- Intermedial. Appears between the rubble.
- Paraossal. It looks like a protrusion that surrounds part of a broken bone.
The appearance of such calluses depends on the type of fracture. It may be complete or incomplete.
An incomplete fracture is a crack. Less common than complete. With this type of fracture, people rarely go to the doctor.
At full, the periosteum and tissue are torn. There is severe pain.
Factors affecting the appearance of corns
There are three factors:
- Fracture site. The time and method of healing may vary depending on the type of bone.
- Fracture type. The bone was fractured transversely, spirally or obliquely. At the same time, the appearance of fragments affects the speed of healing.
- What exactly is responsible for the damaged area. Here the influence concerns only the appearance of the corn.
- Stages of growth appearance
Stages of build-up formation
The corn grows gradually. It first appears as a small scar. Then it increases in size. The process of complete formation takes from 2 weeks to several months.
There are several stages in the appearance of corns:
- A scar appears a week after the fracture.
- After a month, it turns into cartilage.
- After 2-5 months, cartilage turns into bone. The speed depends on the amount of calcium and other minerals in the body.
- The appearance of corn. Ends in about a year.
If all of the above conditions are met, the corn is formed without problems. In case of violation, pathologies may appear.
There are several reasons for incorrect formation:
- The wrong treatment was prescribed.
- The wreckage was mismatched.
- Physical activity on the damaged area of the body.
- The body is weak. He has problems with immunity, the endocrine system is disturbed and there are diseases that affect recovery.
- Pus began to appear in the damaged area.
How are bones formed?
The type and time of occurrence of callus depends on the damaged area:
- Collarbone. A callus after a fracture will appear in a couple of months and quickly disappear. But there are times when a build-up remains, which will eventually pass. This callus is best seen because it is located just under the skin.
- Nose. Most often, corn appears here. Appears after 4 months. Full recovery will take place only a couple of years after the operation.
- Ribs. The corn will appear in a month. In this case, the person experiences discomfort. Will be gone in about a year.
- Toes. A callus will also appear between the toes. Formed in 1 month. You should be careful when choosing shoes so that they do not rub the callus.
- Heels. Here the corn will appear in a couple of months.
Diagnostics
The appearance of a corn can be seen on an x-ray. Pathology looks like a white spot at the fracture site. If the picture shows that the callus has appeared completely, it means that the fracture has already begun to heal. From such pictures, the doctor will be able to determine the time of the injury, thus prescribing treatment.
Callus removal
Most often it does not need to be removed, but sometimes it can interfere with movement. For example, a person experiences pain when moving, if a callus is on the heel.
It also has to be removed in the nose area, because it looks ugly.
In addition to the operation, there are several methods for its removal.
- Lack of physical activity.
- Diet.
- Doctor's visit.
- Procedures of electrophoresis and magnetotherapy.
It will take a lot of time.
If the above methods do not help, or the person is in severe pain, surgery is necessary. But still, it is impossible to guarantee the result, since the corn is considered an inflammation. If it is removed, deterioration is possible. Therefore, surgery is necessary only as a last resort.
Prevention
It is easier to prevent the appearance of corns than to treat it. Should:
- For any damage, contact a doctor. Regardless of whether it is a bruise or a crack.
- Follow all the recommendations prescribed by the doctor.
- Make sure that the recovery takes place without pathologies.
- Prophylaxis against bacteria.
- No big loads.
In fact, corn is not considered a disease. This is an indication that the bones have begun to grow together. But her appearance does not mean that everything will pass without complications.
To avoid problems, you need to visit the doctor in a timely manner and follow all his instructions. Also, do not self-medicate. This can lead to unpleasant consequences.