bone health

Bone Callus - Causes and Symptoms

Definition

Callus is a repair tissue that is typically found following a fracture.

The process of callogenesis occurs 3-4 weeks after the traumatic event: the newly formed tissue welds the fragments of the fractured bone and changes progressively in response to the mechanical forces exerted on it, becoming increasingly resistant.

In the following weeks or months, the callus reconstitutes the integrity and the normal biomechanical characteristics of the injured skeletal segment.

Consequently, if the calcification process undergoes a conditioning or an interruption that does not allow consolidation, it is possible that the fracture does not heal. This latter event causes the formation of a fibrous callus that involves pain and functional limitation (pseudoarthrosis) and often makes it necessary to intervene surgically. In other circumstances, the callus can incorporate vascular or nerve structures, promoting circulatory or neurological disorders.

The main factors that can negatively interfere with the correct healing of the fracture include metabolic disorders (eg hyperparathyroidism and diabetes), the subject's nutritional status, smoking habits, advanced age and infection overlap. Furthermore, the formation of callus is influenced and conditioned by: bone size and fracture site, distance between the stumps, reduced tissue perfusion, possible interposition of soft tissues, insufficient immobilization and improper reduction of bone fragments.

Callus in the radius and in the ulna of an infant

Possible Causes * of Callo Callus

  • Neurofibromatosis