Pseudarthrosis
Encyclopedia
Pseudarthrosis is the movement of a bone
at the location of a fracture
resulting from inadequate healing of the fracture.
Pseudarthrosis can also result from a developmental failure.
spokes. See Ilizarov apparatus
for a description of the modern apparatus.
Grafting
This is using donor bone or autologous bone (harvested from the same person undergoing the surgery) as a stimulus to bone healing. The presence of the bone is thought to cause stem cells in the circulation and marrow to form cartilage, which then turns to bone, instead of a fibrous scar that forms to heal all other tissues of the body. Bone is the only tissue that can heal without a fibrous scar.
Fixation
The use of metal plates, pins, screws, and rods, that are screwed or driven into a bone, to stabilize the broken bone fragments.
Bone
Bones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...
at the location of a fracture
Fracture
A fracture is the separation of an object or material into two, or more, pieces under the action of stress.The word fracture is often applied to bones of living creatures , or to crystals or crystalline materials, such as gemstones or metal...
resulting from inadequate healing of the fracture.
Pseudarthrosis can also result from a developmental failure.
Etymology
The Greek stem "pseud" means false and "arthrosis" means joint. "Pseudarthrosis", then, is a false joint. In the case of a 'non-union', a fracture that does not heal, this is often evidenced by the obliteration of the medullary cavity of a long bone at the site of the non union. This non union is not a true joint, and has no ligamentous support, but often has motion, and remodels into a rounded end that looks like a true joint.Treatment
The point of movement can be treated with electrical stimulations that hopefully will trigger the bone cells to form the hydroxyapatite structure that keeps bones from bending too much. More recently, non-unions are treated by bone grafting, internal fixation, and external fixation, including a technique pioneered by Ilizarov, used to compress the bones at the site of the fracture. Ilizarov originally used bicycleBicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
spokes. See Ilizarov apparatus
Ilizarov apparatus
The Ilizarov apparatus is named after the orthopedic surgeon Gavriil Abramovich Ilizarov from the Soviet Union, who pioneered the technique. It is used in surgical procedures to lengthen or reshape limb bones; to treat complex and/or open bone fractures; and in cases of infected non-unions of bones...
for a description of the modern apparatus.
Grafting
This is using donor bone or autologous bone (harvested from the same person undergoing the surgery) as a stimulus to bone healing. The presence of the bone is thought to cause stem cells in the circulation and marrow to form cartilage, which then turns to bone, instead of a fibrous scar that forms to heal all other tissues of the body. Bone is the only tissue that can heal without a fibrous scar.
Fixation
The use of metal plates, pins, screws, and rods, that are screwed or driven into a bone, to stabilize the broken bone fragments.