A fractured bone that fails to heal properly.
A condition in which a fractured bone fails to heal, preventing the fragments of bone from forming an uninterrupted, anatomically correct structure. Fracture non-unions are more common among adults and tend to occur more often among smokers. The bone of the upper arm and the shinbone are commonly affected. Open fractures, multiple crush fractures, and the removal of bone tumors may produce nonunion of bones. Non-unions may be treated surgically, with bone grafts, or with devices that encourage healing through electrical stimulation of the bones. Clinical studies are underway on injectable compounds that could glue or paste the broken bone segments together.