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nonunion (malunion) of fracture
Etiology:
- occurs when fracture
- moves too much
- has a poor blood supply
- gets infected
- smoking increases risk of malunion
Pathology:
- scar tissue usually forms between the malunion bone fragments
- pseudoarthrosis can occur
- cartilage formation & a joint cavity between 2 bone fragments
Management:
- orthopedic surgery
- if nonunion is still evident at 6 months post injury, it will remain so without orthopedic surgery
General
bone fracture
References
- Wikipedia: Nonunion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonunion