Breaking news on bone healing

Fractures are common in Europe. For every 1,000 people, 60 will suffer a lower leg or knee fracture this year, 11 will fracture their upper leg and 41 will fracture their forearm or elbow.

Most will heal quickly but in 5% – 10% of cases, healing takes longer than expected.Why do some fractures heal on time while others do not? The answer often lies in the type of fracture or the care patients receive. For others, diabetes, smoking and other lifestyle factors can play their part. Fracture complications can be tricky to treat. If patients need to undergo surgery to have metal plates screwed into the bone to add stability, hospitalisation and physical therapy may be required.

When the healing process is not moving forward, technology can accelerate bone repair and stimulate bone growth without surgery.