American Board of Surgical Assistants (ABSA) Orthopedic Practice Test

The initial stage of bone healing following a fracture is the formation of a hematoma. When a fracture occurs, blood vessels in the bone and surrounding tissue are disrupted, leading to the immediate accumulation of blood at the fracture site, which forms a hematoma. This hematoma serves several important purposes: it helps to stabilize the fracture, provides a scaffold for the migration of cells, and serves as a signaling platform for the recruitment of various growth factors and cells necessary for the healing process.

As the hematoma develops, it creates an environment conducive to the subsequent stages of healing. These include the inflammatory response, which involves the infiltration of immune cells that help to clear debris and initiate the healing process, followed by the stages of cellular proliferation, callus formation, and finally, consolidation. Each of these stages plays a critical role in the repair and regeneration of bone tissue after a fracture.

Understanding the sequence of phases in bone healing helps anticipate the needs for treatment and potential complications in orthopedic care. The hematoma is a fundamental first step that sets the foundation for the complex processes that follow in restoring bone integrity.