On average, every person will experience two broken bones over the course of a lifetime. Vertebral or spinal fractures are the most common fractures occurring in 30-50% of people over the age of 50 and result in significantly increased morbidity and mortality.
Have you ever heard someone say that when you break a bone, the healing process makes it stronger than it was in the first place? This often-repeated notion may give you the idea that after your broken bone heals, it will be tougher than ever and won't break again, but this isn't actually true.
Osteoporosis is the most common cause for bone density loss and its resulting fractures. More rare culprits could be metabolic bone diseases, such as Paget's disease or osteomalacia, or types of bone cancer.
The weakest and softest bone in the human is the clavicle or collar bone. Because it is a tiny bone which runs horizontally across your breastbone & collarbone, it is simple to shatter. Water makes up 31% of the weight of your bones.
The thigh bone is called a femur and not only is it the strongest bone in the body, it is also the longest. Because the femur is so strong, it takes a large force to break or fracture it – usually a car accident or a fall from high up. To fix it properly requires an operation.
Some people assume that fractured bones are more serious than broken bones, while others assume it's the other way around. But the truth is that these terms are used interchangeably, and they have the same meaning to medical professionals.
Our bones are constantly being remodeled. At night, when we're asleep, the fixer-upper cells in our bones go to work. Special bone cells called osteocytes regulate the body's calcium levels, repair microscopic bone cracks, and heal fractures. These project-management cells direct the remodeling process.
In summary, all three patients suffered increased fatigue/reduced energy at various stages of the healing process and all experienced mood changes, with the severity of the fracture indicating a longer duration and wider variability of symptoms.
Unfortunately, some nerve damage will never heal completely, causing a lifelong impact. Nerves can also be torn. This type of damage can result from sharp bone fragments contacting the nerves after a break and is most likely to happen when the skin is torn.
Some people may continue to experience pain long after the fracture and soft tissues have finished healing. This is what we call chronic pain. Chronic pain may be caused by nerve damage, the development of scar tissue, aggravation of underlying arthritis, or other causes.
Psychological sequelae are common after long bone fractures and include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. Depression is common following injury and may adversely affect clinical outcomes.
The record for the most broken bones in a lifetime is held by Evel Knieval, the famous motorcycle stuntman, who sustained 433 fractures by the end of 1975, when he retired from major performances.
Smoking and high glucose levels interfere with bone healing. For all patients with fractured bones, immobilization is a critical part of treatment because any movement of bone fragments slows down the initial healing process.
In particular, calcium, vitamin D and protein will be important during the bone healing process, so be sure you're focusing on food sources rich in these nutrients, including dark, leafy greens, broccoli, fish, meat, yogurt, nuts and seeds.
After about a week or two, the worst of the pain will be over. What happens next is that the fractured bone and the soft tissue around it start to heal. This takes a couple of weeks and is called subacute pain. You may still be on pain medication, but it may be a lower dosage or a weaker drug.
The Femur is often put at the top of the most painful bones to break. Your Femur is the longest and strongest bone in your body, running from your hip to your knee. Given its importance, it's not surprising that breaking this bone is an incredibly painful experience, especially with the constant weight being put on it.
What are the symptoms of a fracture? Most fractures are accompanied by intense pain when the initial injury occurs. It may become worse when you move or touch the injured area. In some cases, you may even pass out from the pain.
Comminuted fracture
This type of fracture requires a lot of force, which causes your bone to break into several pieces. A comminuted fracture typically brings very intense pain.
The lacrimal bone is perhaps the most fragile bone of the face and one of the smallest bones in the body. Spanning between the middle of each eye socket, each lacrimal is thin and scalelike and serves as support for the eye. The pair of lacrimal bones are two of the fourteen facial bones.