Bone healing complications: What do you need to know?

Following a car or truck accident or a slip and fall incident, you may feel lucky to walk away with little more than a broken bone. After all, people deal with and recover from broken bones all the time, right?

While it is true that broken bones are a commonplace injury, they can result in complications — particularly during the healing process. Henry Ford Health System explains the types of bone healing complications and symptoms to look out for.

Bone healing complications

Though most bone fractures and breaks heal without issue, some people may experience complications during the recovery process. Per Henry Ford orthopedists, if you experience a bone healing complication, it will likely be one of the following:

• Malunion: A malunion, or bone deformity, occurs when a misaligned bone heals in an abnormal position.
• Infection: Bone infections, or “osteomyelitis,” may occur when bacteria enter the body during the traumatic event. In rare cases, bacteria may enter the body during the surgery to set the bone.
• Nonunion and Delayed Union: In some cases, bones may take longer to set than normal, resulting in a delayed union. In others, the break may fail to heal entirely.

If you experience a bone healing complication, you will likely develop one or several symptoms.

Symptoms of bone healing complications

It is crucial that you familiarize yourself with the symptoms of bone healing complications so that you can seek prompt care and treatment. Henry Ford Health Systems encourages you to call your doctor if you develop any of the following symptoms:

• Drainage from the wound
• Chronic pain
• Swelling
• Fever
• Limping

Complications during the recovery phase can set you back in both terms of health and finances. For this reason, you should anticipate complications before accepting any type of settlement from your or the at-fault party’s insurance company.