How to Speed Fracture Healing

Nature, on the other hand, has no such questions, but moves swiftly to initiate healing. Guided by a complex intelligence that we do not yet fully understand, bone repairs itself — and over a few months is made whole again. The fracture self-repair process is spontaneous, natural, and seeks no direction from us, but what we do during this time is of unrecognized importance. The stage we set for healing greatly influences the speed, comfort, and completeness of the bone renewal process. Further, life- supporting changes made in response to a fracture can strengthen our entire skeleton and reduce the likelihood of future fractures. Physiology of fracture healing Fracture healing involves complex processes of cell and tissue proliferation and differentiation. Many players are involved, including growth factors, inflammatory cytokines, antioxidants, bone breakdown (osteoclast) and bone-building (osteoblast) cells, hormones, amino acids, and uncounted nutrients. Fracture healing can be divided into three phases. The inflammation phase is the first stage of healing. Immediately upon fracture, a blood clot forms, allowing the influx of inflammatory, clean-up cells to the wound area. This is followed by a cytokine cascade that brings the repair cells into the fracture gap. These cells immediately begin to differentiate into specialized cells that build new bone tissue (osteoblasts) and new cartilage (chondroblasts). Over the next few months, these cells begin the repair process, laying down new bone matrix and cartilage. At this initial stage, osteoclast cells dissolve and recycle bone debris.