1. Children's Bones More Frequently Bend Than Break
Due to their softness, children's bones more frequently "bend" instead of completely breaking, resulting in less serious fractures. A strong force, however, can cause a complete break or fracture. Common fractures in children are buckle fractures and greenstick fractures. A buckle, or torus, fracture occurs when one side of the bone bends without the other side breaking. A greenstick fracture is a partial fracture due to one side of the bone breaking and the other side bending.
2. Adult Bones Are More Likely to Break Completely Than Children's Bones
While adult bones are not as soft as children's bones, there are multiple kinds of complete fractures that can occur in either adults or children. A complete fracture can be displaced, non-displaced, closed or open. A displaced fracture occurs when the two or more components of the fracture are not lined up, while the pieces of a non-displaced fracture do line up. A closed fracture is one that does not break through the skin, whereas an open fracture does break through skin tissue.
3. Some Breaks Heal Faster Than Others
Different types of fractures heal at different rates. Many factors influence the speed of healing, including age, injury site, overall health and blood supply to the area. The fracture type, location and severity will help the physician determine how to treat the injury. A splint or cast may be implemented to help stabilize the bone during healing and an assistant device, such as crutches or a wheel chair, might be needed to avoid bearing weight on the bone during the healing process. More serious breaks may require surgical repair and pin placement to secure the bones. Splinting, casting and surgical repair will all likely require rehabilitation, but the surgical repair of a fracture will entail a much more involved rehabilitation process.
4. Calcium Can Help Bones Heal
Experts have recommended high calcium foods for bone healing. Calcium can be found in many foods including yogurt, bok choy, collard greens, orange juice and milk. Individuals should check with a physician to determine the appropriate amount of calcium recommended for their diet.
5. Smoking Will Impair The Bones Ability to Heal
It has long been known that smoking cigarettes has a negative impact on the human body and can contribute to many health problems. Many experts also agree that the healing time of bone is increased in smokers. Smoking increases the level of nicotine in the blood stream, which results in constriction, or decreased diameter, of blood vessels. Vessel constriction results in a reduction of the amount of valuable nutrients in the bloodstream that may reach the healing bone tissue. The healing process is consequently longer and the final outcome may actually be worsened.
