Thursday 13 June 2013


An adult human has about 206 bones.  These bones come in all shapes and sizes.  As people grow, the bones in their bodies are very much alive.  Bones are constantly growing and changing along with the person.  One way they change is that bones in a young child are very soft, but as people get older, their bones gradually harden.  Bones are fully grown and have reached their maturity when someone reaches the age of 25.  Bones have a number of different functions, but two of the most important are that bones provide support and protection for the body.  Bones give the body its shape and also protect sensitive organs like the heart, lungs, and brain.  Human bones are very strong, but, no matter how strong bones are, sometimes they break. 

A broken bone is called a fracture, which can be very painful. When people fracture a bone, they go to the doctor, who will try to fix the fracture.  For a while it hurts to move the injured part of the body; but fortunately, a doctor can fix a broken bone and make the injured person feel better.  The first thing a doctor will do is to take an x-ray to see where the break is. An x-ray is a picture, taken by a special machine, of the inside of your body. Once the doctor has an x-ray, he can see what a person’s bones look like and if one is broken. If it is a complex fracture, the doctor might have to operate to put the pieces back together before putting on a cast. If it is a simple fracture, many times the doctor can use the cast to keep the bones in the right place so they can heal.  A cast is made of wet bandages put around the part of your body with the break, and the bandages harden so the bones cannot move.

The human body is very good at fixing itself when a part of the body is injured. When there is a fracture, the body sends lots of blood to the area to bring nutrients to the injury. The bones will then use those nutrients and start to grow. The bones will eventually mend together. Once the bones heal back together the cast be removed.  A special saw is used to remove the cast. The process of removing the cast does not hurt. Although breaking a bone can be scary, it is good to know doctors can help.

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