A fibrocartilage callus is a temporary formation of
fibroblast
A fibroblast is a type of biological cell that synthesizes the extracellular matrix and collagen, produces the structural framework ( stroma) for animal tissues, and plays a critical role in wound healing. Fibroblasts are the most common cells ...
s and
chondroblast
Chondroblasts, or perichondrial cells, is the name given to mesenchymal progenitor cells in situ which, from endochondral ossification, will form chondrocytes in the growing cartilage matrix. Another name for them is subchondral cortico-spongiou ...
s which forms at the area of a
bone fracture
A bone fracture (abbreviated FRX or Fx, Fx, or #) is a medical condition in which there is a partial or complete break in the continuity of any bone in the body. In more severe cases, the bone may be broken into several fragments, known as a '' ...
as the
bone
A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, ...
attempts to
heal itself. The cells eventually dissipate and become dormant, lying in the resulting
extracellular matrix
In biology, the extracellular matrix (ECM), also called intercellular matrix, is a three-dimensional network consisting of extracellular macromolecules and minerals, such as collagen, enzymes, glycoproteins and hydroxyapatite that provide s ...
that is the new bone.
The callus is the first sign of union visible on x-rays, usually 3 weeks after the fracture. Callus formation is slower in adults than in children, and in
cortical bone
A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, and ...
s than in
cancellous bone
A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, and ...
s.
See also
*
Bone healing
Bone healing, or fracture healing, is a proliferative physiological process in which the body facilitates the repair of a bone fracture.
Generally, bone fracture treatment consists of a doctor reducing (pushing) displaced bones back into place ...
References
* Morgan, Elise F., et al. “Overview of Skeletal Repair (Fracture Healing and Its Assessment).” Methods in Molecular Biology Skeletal Development and Repair, 2014, pp. 13–31.
External links
*
Bone fractures
Physiology
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