Fracture Center - Boston, MAWebMD Physician DirectoryBoston, MassachusettsWith many colleges and universities within the city and surrounding area, Boston is a center of higher education and a center for medicine. The city's economy is also based on research, electronics, engineering, finance, and high technology - principally biotechnology. Boston ranks first in the country in jobs per square mile ahead of New York City and Washington, D.C. The city has been experiencing gentrification and has one of the highest costs of living in the United States, and it remains high on world livability rankings. Upcoming Local Events2012-05-26
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FractureIntroduction to fractureBones form the skeleton of the body and allow the body to be supported against gravity and to move and function in the world. Bones also protect some body parts, and the bone marrow is the production center for blood products. Bone is not a stagnant organ. It is the body's reservoir of calcium and is always undergoing change under the influence of hormones. Parathyroid hormone increases blood calcium levels by leeching calcium from bone, while calcitonin has the opposite effect, allowing bone to accept calcium from the blood.
What causes a fracture?When outside forces are applied to bone it has the potential to fail. Fractures occur when bone cannot withstand those outside forces. Fracture, break, or crack all mean the same thing. One term is not better or worse than another. The integrity of the bone has been lost and the bone structure fails. Broken bones hurt for a variety of reasons including:
Often a fracture is easy to detect because there is obvious deformity. However, at times it is not easily diagnosed. It is important for the physician to take a history of the injury to decide what potential problems might exist. Moreover, fractures don't always occur in isolation, and there may be associated injuries that need to be addressed. Fractures can occur because of direct blows, twisting injuries, or falls. The type of forces on the bone may determine what type of injury that occurs. Descriptions of fractures can ... Recommended Reading Related to FractureWhat is osteoporosis?Osteoporosis is a condition that is characterized by bones that are less dense than, and thus not as strong as, normal bone. Osteoporosis increases the risk of breaking bone (fracture) with even minor trauma, such as a fall from standing height, or even from a cough or sneeze. Unfortunately, people often do not realize they have osteoporosis until either they have a fracture or have a screening test ordered by their doctor to check for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis and low bone mass affect an estimated 44 million Americans (National Osteoporosis Foundation 2008). Of those, 10 million have osteoporosis, and the remaining 34 million have a lower than normal bone mass and are at higher risk of developing osteoporosis. Women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men. Other risk factors include older age, family history of osteoporosis, small and thin stature, inactive lifestyle, smoking, alcohol, and use of certain medications in... Other Related Fracture ArticlesEmergency Contact for Boston
Nearby Boston Hospitals * Shriners Hospitals for Children Boston Burn Hospital  Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary  Massachusetts General Hospital  Tufts New England Medical Center  Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital  M I T Medical  Boston Medical Center  Cambridge Hospital  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center  Youville Hospital and Rehabilitation Center  Children's Hospital Boston  Brigham & Women's Hospital  Dana Farber Cancer Institute  New England Baptist Hospital  Arbour HRI Hospital  Lawrence F Quigley Memorial Hospital  Radius Specialty Hospital Boston  Somerville Hospital  VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus  Whidden Memorial Hospital  Arbour Hospital  Mount Auburn Hospital  Kindred Hospital Boston  Franciscan Hospital for Children  Caritas St Elizabeth's Medical Center  Lemuel Shattuck Hospital  Massachusetts Mental Health Center  Faulkner Hospital  Lawrence Memorial Hospital  Caritas Carney Hospital  Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged  Bournewood Hospital  Melrose Wakefield Hospital  McLean Hospital  Milton Hospital  Quincy Medical Center  Winchester Hospital  VA Boston Healthcare System West Roxbury Campus  HEALTHSOUTH New England Rehabilitation Hospital  Newton Wellesley Hospital  North Shore Medical Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham  Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital  Lahey Clinic Medical Center  Massachusetts Hospital School  Salem Hospital & the Birthplace  North Shore Children's Hospital  Shaughnessy-Kaplan Rehabilitation Hospital  Kindred Hospital Boston North Shore  Kindred Specialty Hospital Braintree  Westwood Lodge Hospital  South Shore Hospital  Caritas Norwood Hospital  Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital  New England Sinai Hospital & Rehabilitation Center  Kindred Specialty Hospital Natick  MetroWest Medical Center Leonard Morse Hospital  Emerson Hospital  Beverly Hospital  Kindred Specialty Hospital Stoughton  Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center  Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital  MetroWest Medical Center Framingham Union Hospital  Tewksbury Hospital  Boston VA Healthcare System Brockton  Isham Health Center  Pembroke Hospital  Saints Medical Center  Baldpate Hospital  Lowell General Hospital  HC Solomon Mental Health Center  Lawrence General Hospital  UMass Memorial Marlborough Hospital  Caritas Holy Family Hospital and Medical Center  Addison Gilbert Hospital Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
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