Skeletal Self-Repair : Stress Fracture Healing by Rapid Formation and Densification of Woven Bone

Abstract

Functional healing of a stress fracture, as evidenced by recovery of whole bone strength, occurred within 2 wk, regardless of stress fracture severity. Partial recovery of strength in the first week was attributed to the rapid formation of a collar of woven bone that was localized to the site of bone damage and whose size depended on the level of initial damage. Complete recovery of strength in the second week was caused by woven bone densification. For the first time, we showed that woven bone formation occurs as a dose-dependent response after damaging mechanical loading of bone.