• With sufficient amounts of calcium in the body nerve responses are
much better. As calcium decrease nerve function can be altered.
• If the body does not contain enough calcium in the blood, the
Parathyroid gland releases Parathyroid hormone (PTH) into the
blood stream to help increase calcium by activating osteoclasts to
break down bone matrix and release calcium ions into the blood.
• This is referred to as Hypocalcemia, or the insufficient amount of
calcium in the blood.
• On the other hand if there is to much calcium in the blood, it is then
deposited in bone matrix as hard calcium salts.
• This is referred to as Hypercalcemia.
• Fractures which are breaks in bone can occur throughout an
individual’s life.
• When you are an adolescent bone fractures are the result of an
extreme amount of stress or trauma. This is because at a
younger age bones contain more cartilage and are more pliable
then at an older age. When you are at adult maturity bones
become more brittle and therefore can be fractured more easily
because the ossification process, or creation of bone, has
become complete.
• Everyday activities such as walking, running, or participating
in anything physically demanding put stress on our bones and it
is important we keep our bodies healthy to help maintain bone
strength and stability.
• The more physical activity you endure the greater your muscle
size is increased and with this increase bones become more
dense. If you perform in less activity muscles begin to atrophy
which in return bone loses its density.
•When a bone is broken it is treated by reduction, or
the realignment of bone ends by a physician.
• There are two different types of reduction, open
reduction and closed reduction.
•Open Reduction – Surgery is performed and bone
ends are secured together with pins or wires.
•Closed Reduction – Bone ends are coaxed back
into position by a physician’s hands.
• After bones are reduced bones are casted or
put into traction to begin the healing process.
Closed
Reduction
Open Reduction
• During the first step in fracture repair a hematoma is formed. This is
formed as a result of the bone breaking and blood vessels rupturing.
Swelling occurs as a response to damage.
• Bone cells that are deprived of nutrition slowly die as a result of the
lack of blood flow to them.
• During a fracture a fibrocartilage callus is formed to splint the break.
•Fibrocartilage callus – some cartilage matrix, some bony matrix,
and collagen fibers makes this structure.
• When a fibrocartilage callus forms, this is a result of the
development of new capillaries ( granulation tissue) into the clotted
blood at the site of damage and the disposal of dead tissue by
phagocytes.
• In this step a bony callus is formed.
• After the break osteoclasts move in to break down the fibrocartilage
and eat up dead bone cells.
• Osteoblasts then move in to rebuild bone matrix in the damaged area
making a callus.
• The callus, made of spongy bone, then replaces the fibrocartilage.
• Mechanical stresses over the ensuing months cause the bone to
remodel itself so that it forms a strong permanent patch at the fracture
site.
• This allows bone to return to normal movement and stability.
Hypocalcaemia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia. Retrieved November 18, 2009, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypocalcaemia