Broken Sternum

My 15 year old son has broken his sternum. The Orho Dr. says its my choice to decide on Surgery or Not,  Scar tissue will form and it will heal in 8 to 10 weeks but he will never be able to play sports again or any contact type of recreation. How does a broken bone heal itself?

[GodofredoMD]

Hi.

As long as the fracture fragments are aligned and adjacent each other, bone healing can occur.

Bone healing basically occurs in 3 stages that may overlap. These are the inflammatory stage, repair stage, and remodeling stage.

In the first stage of healing, hematoma formation occurs in the fracture site and fibroblasts and inflammatory cells such as monocytes, macrophages, lymphocytes, and polymorphonuclear cells infiltrate the bone thus leading to granulation tissue formation, vascular tissue ingrowth, and mesenchymal cell migration.

The repair stage is characterized by laying down of a collagen matrix while osteoid is secreted and mineralized leading to soft callus formation that would support vascular ingrowth. This callus eventually ossifies and forms a bridge of woven bone between the fragments of the fracture.

The third stage occurs slowly over months to years and this is when the bone is restored to its original shape, structure, and mechanical strength.

Hope this answers your query.

[Archibald S Miller III, MD,FACS]

I have just read another of your questions. I disagree that your son will not be able to play sports . If The fracture can be fixed with the talon device{rwww.rapidsternalclosure.com}, then he will be able to do as he wishes. Respectfully,

              arch s miller ms md facs

[MissCatina]

I have a broken sternum, suffered from a car accident 20 years ago. I have always maintained my fitness and play sports at will. I have always felt that staying strong and maintaining muscle would be a benefit to the broken area. Currently I kick box 5-6 times per week. However, I do not heavily spar because I am conscientious of my injury.
For most of my life and in most aspects, I was not bothered by the break but now that I have aged, with gravity in effect, I am feeling the discomfort of being slightly shorter in the front than in my back (my sternum set itself with the broken plates overlapping by 1/3 ").  Now I feel like I am rolling forward prematurely (like an old woman), in spite of all the pectoral muscle building I have done for support.
I wish to have my sternum reset (if possible) because my chest now hurts and so does my back.  When I stretch upward and pull my chest open and shoulders back, its a relief but not sustainable.
I am looking for answers and I would love a N. Cali referral for a Dr. who specializes in such work so that I can investigate repair options.  I would also encourage anyone who has a fresh sternum break to ensure that it resets with NO overlap, even if it means surgery.