Bone Fracture

Question 1

Describe common types of fractures

Answer 1

Greenstick fractures are only in children as the bone is much more flexible.
A compound fracture is when the bone pierces the skin at the site of a broken bone.
An impacted fracture is when two parts of a broken bone are driven into each other.
A stress fracture is when there’s a microfracture.

Question 2

describe the 4 steps of fracture repair

Answer 2

Reactive phase=formation of a fracture hematoma, inflammation to kill foreign bacteria

Reparative phase- Fibrocartilage callus formation= osteoprogenitor cells differentiate to form a fibrocartilaginous callus and hold the bone in place, blood vessels grow into the hematoma

Reparative phase- Bony callus formation=osteoblasts form a bony callus of spongy bone, spongy bone trabeculae weave together undamaged and damaged bone, fibrocartilage is ossified

Remodeling phase= spongy bone is replaced by compact bone where necessary, osteoblasts and osteoclasts do their best to reform the bone to how it originally was as possible, osteoclasts reabsorb bone fragments, fracture line disappears but there is a bump at the site of fracture