Understanding Bone Healing in Orthopedic Surgery

Knowing how bones heal is really important in bone surgery. It helps doctors decide how to treat injuries. Here’s a simple breakdown of the process:

1. Healing Phases:

   • Inflammatory Phase: This is the first step and lasts about 1 to 2 weeks after an injury.
   • Reparative Phase: This starts around 1 to 2 weeks after the injury and can last for several months.
   • Remodeling Phase: This phase can take a long time—up to several years.

2. Surgical Techniques:

   • Internal Fixation: This involves using screws and plates to hold the bone together. It works well, with a success rate of 90% for stable fractures.
   • External Fixation: This method is good for more complicated fractures. It has a success rate of about 75% in the long run.

3. Important Facts:

   • About 5 to 10% of fractures do not heal well, which is called nonunion.
   • Delayed unions, where healing takes longer than expected, happen in about 10 to 20% of long bone fractures.

By understanding these healing stages and techniques, doctors can improve the success of surgeries and help patients recover better.