About Bones
Bone fractures are dreaded by most since they take the most time to heal. The bones form the main support of the human body and they support the organs and protect. They hold up the body parts and allow them to function and move against gravity. The bones also are the major centers where the blood components are produced, inside the bone marrow. Bones are not stagnant and are constantly developing. They are the reservoir for calcium of the human body and under the influence of different hormones, they are constantly undergoing changes. There are two types of hormones which help to control the calcium content of the bones. While the parathyroid hormone helps to increase calcium levels in the blood, the calcitonin hormone will increase the ability of the bones to absorb calcium from the blood. The understanding of the structure of bones and how they are affected go a long way to understanding how fractures are caused and how they can be healed.
How Fractures Occur
When we talk of a bone fracture, these are usually caused when an external force is applied which breaks bones in any part of the human body. The fractures are a result of the bones not withstanding the effect of such forces. Whether a bone is broken or cracked, they are all termed as bone fractures. The result is the same. The integrity of the bone is disturbed and hence the bone structure fails to function as it was. The bone fractures are known to be pretty painful. That is because the nerve endings which are around the bones are made of pain fibers. These fibers get irritated and sensitized when the bone gets broken or bruised in some way. When the bones are broken, usually the muscles which are around the injured bones go into spasm as they try to hold the bones in place and these spasms are what cause the pain and the swelling. Again, if the skin is also damaged above the bones, that can increase chances of infection and other complications.
Associated Injuries
A bone fracture is easy to detect since there is deformity which is visible due to swelling. However, in certain cases bone fracture treatment gets delayed since it is not identified in time. The physician who is looking into the treatment should note down how the injury has occurred and any history associated with the injury. This is important to understand what potential problems might exist and how treatment should be advised accordingly. The fractures often do not occur in isolation and there are other associated injuries which need to be treated. The fractures usually occur when there are direct blows applied or there are injuries or sudden falls. The forces which are applied to the bones or the trauma that occurs will determine the kind of injury to the bone. There are again fractures which occur without any trauma which is usually the result of osteoporosis and that is due to lack of calcium in the bones. Accordingly fracture treatment will vary.
Bone fractures are dreaded by most since they take the most time to heal. The bones form the main support of the human body and they support the organs and protect. They hold up the body parts and allow them to function and move against gravity. The bones also are the major centers where the blood components are produced, inside the bone marrow. Bones are not stagnant and are constantly developing. They are the reservoir for calcium of the human body and under the influence of different hormones, they are constantly undergoing changes. There are two types of hormones which help to control the calcium content of the bones. While the parathyroid hormone helps to increase calcium levels in the blood, the calcitonin hormone will increase the ability of the bones to absorb calcium from the blood. The understanding of the structure of bones and how they are affected go a long way to understanding how fractures are caused and how they can be healed.
How Fractures Occur
When we talk of a bone fracture, these are usually caused when an external force is applied which breaks bones in any part of the human body. The fractures are a result of the bones not withstanding the effect of such forces. Whether a bone is broken or cracked, they are all termed as bone fractures. The result is the same. The integrity of the bone is disturbed and hence the bone structure fails to function as it was. The bone fractures are known to be pretty painful. That is because the nerve endings which are around the bones are made of pain fibers. These fibers get irritated and sensitized when the bone gets broken or bruised in some way. When the bones are broken, usually the muscles which are around the injured bones go into spasm as they try to hold the bones in place and these spasms are what cause the pain and the swelling. Again, if the skin is also damaged above the bones, that can increase chances of infection and other complications.
Associated Injuries
A bone fracture is easy to detect since there is deformity which is visible due to swelling. However, in certain cases bone fracture treatment gets delayed since it is not identified in time. The physician who is looking into the treatment should note down how the injury has occurred and any history associated with the injury. This is important to understand what potential problems might exist and how treatment should be advised accordingly. The fractures often do not occur in isolation and there are other associated injuries which need to be treated. The fractures usually occur when there are direct blows applied or there are injuries or sudden falls. The forces which are applied to the bones or the trauma that occurs will determine the kind of injury to the bone. There are again fractures which occur without any trauma which is usually the result of osteoporosis and that is due to lack of calcium in the bones. Accordingly fracture treatment will vary.