Callus - What Is It And How Is It Treated?

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

Callus - types, treatment

Calluses appear after a fracture in the course of bone repair. Such calluses are not a pathology, they are small areas of compaction. Calluses should not be confused with common calluses.

Content:

• Types of calluses
• Pathogenesis
• How long does it take to form a callus?
• Bone callus symptoms
• Bone callus treatment

Types of calluses

Calluses can be of the following types:

• Endosteal. Such a callus is located on the outside of the bones. It is not supplied with blood vessels, therefore it often thickens and protrudes above the surface of the bone.
• Intermediate. Such a callus is concentrated in the area of injury, between the outer and inner sides of the bone. X-ray examination does not always reveal such a callus.
• Periosteal. Such a callus grows at the site of bone fusion. Most often, it is formed in patients who have been completely immobilized for a long time.
• Periosteal callus can appear not only after the resulting bone fracture, but even after severe soft tissue injury. The growth often grows to a significant size, so it is difficult to get rid of it. In the area of the formation of the callus, the muscles swell, the person complains of pain while trying to make a movement.
• Paraosseous callus appears on the tubular bones. The treatment of such a growth is long-term. If this callus is localized on the cancellous bones, then its size is small.

Pathogenesis

Corn does not form in one day.

The process of its formation takes place in several stages:

• In the first week after the fracture received, a provisional callus appears in a person.
• Then the process of formation of osteoid tissue starts. For a short time period, the corn ossifies.
• The next stage in the development of calluses is the formation of cartilaginous calluses.
• Over time, the cartilage thickens, resulting in the patient's callus.

Before a callus begins to form in a person, the injured bones must heal. In general, callus formation is a normal process that accompanies tissue regeneration.

How long does it take to form a callus?

The time it takes to form a callus depends on several reasons, including:

• How quickly qualified medical care was provided to the patient.
• The size of the bone that was injured.
• The patient's age.
• The state of the patient's nervous system.
• The rate of metabolic processes in the body.
• The quality of the endocrine glands.

The average term for callus formation is 4-6 months. Although sometimes this period can be extended in time:

• If the collarbone has been damaged. When a person has a broken collarbone, the callus takes about 2 months to form. After the collarbone is completely healed, the callus should dissolve, but in some cases this does not happen.
• If your toe has been injured. After a fracture of the toes, calluses may appear on the toes themselves, or in the spaces between them. The growth period is 4-6 weeks. To prevent the corn from being injured, the person must wear the correct and comfortable shoes.
• If the nose was broken. After a broken nose, calluses appear very often. The more damaged the bone tissue, the larger the build-up will be.
• After rib fracture. On broken ribs, calluses form within 3-4 months. It will completely dissolve only a year after its formation. In the early stages of callus development, a person may experience pain and discomfort.

• If the heel is broken. The timing of the formation of a callus after a heel fracture is 2-3 months.
• After rhinoplasty. When the doctor removed bone tissue during the operation, the callus will surely form. The time of its development is 3-4 months. After that, it will begin to transform into bone tissue. The nose will fully form only 12-24 months after the intervention.

Bone callus symptoms

To understand that the patient is developing a callus, it is necessary to undergo an X-ray examination.

Symptoms that indicate the appearance of calluses include:

• Pain that is concentrated in the area of injury during the bone fusion phase.
• Hyperemia of the skin, their swelling.
• Local increase in body temperature.
• The body can trigger a defense mechanism and the person will develop osteoporosis.
• Suppuration may be observed in the area of the fracture.

If a patient develops these symptoms, then the process of bone tissue repair is impaired. In this case, he must be provided with emergency medical assistance.

Bone callus treatment

It is best to treat callus with conservative methods, since the likelihood of inflammation increases with surgery.

The main directions of therapy:

• Thermal therapy. Exposure to the damaged area with infrared rays accelerates regenerative processes, accelerates metabolism, and improves bone nutrition.
• Magnetotherapy. By treating bones with magnetic fields, they heal faster.
• Electrophoresis. High-frequency currents help to strengthen bone tissue. If the corn is large, then you need to use special creams and ointments that will speed up the healing process.

During the recovery period, a person must give up excessive physical exertion. The menu should be enriched with foods that contain vitamin D and calcium. It is important to give up bad habits, from the abuse of alcoholic beverages and coffee.

Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist

Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".