Orthopaedics - Define the term fracture.

... ORTHOPAEDICS 1. Define the term fracture. With aid of a diagram, illustrate the types of fractures. Fracture means the breakage of a bone, either complete or incomplete. (Oxford medical dictionary) For types of fracture see diagram (A) 2. Describe the stages of fracture healing. The stages of fracture healing are as follows; After fracture - wound bleeds and fills with clot. After one week - clot retracts and is removed by phagocytes. Capillaries and Fibroblasts go to damaged area. These cells have osteogenic potential which lays Osteoid. After three weeks - Cartilage and Osteoid is forming around the breakage. Six to twelve weeks - Osteoid ossifies to form Callus (a cuff of provisional woven bone). Six to twelve months - Cortex to cortex union (bone directly joining the fractured surfaces. 3. Identify the signs and symptoms that lead you to beleive a bone is fractured. - Pain. Most common symptom, but people have different pain thresholds, so sometimes hard to tell. Also depends

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