Fracture Center - South Gate, CAWebMD Physician DirectorySouth Gate, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-10
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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 South Gate
Nearby South Gate Hospitals * St Francis Medical Center  Community Hospital of Huntington Park  Martin Luther King Jr MAC Service Center  Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center  Downey Regional Medical Center  Los Angeles Community Hospital  East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital  Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center  Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles Suburban Medical Center Campus  Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles  Orthopaedic Medical Center  California Hospital Medical Center  White Memorial Medical Center  Coast Plaza Doctors Hospital  Memorial Hospital of Gardena  LAC + USC Medical Center  LAC + USC Medical Center Women's & Children's Hospital  Vista Hospital of South Bay  Bellflower Medical Center  Beverly Hospital  USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center  Lakewood Regional Medical Center  USC University Hospital  Good Samaritan Hospital  Monterey Park Hospital  College Hospital Cerritos  Pacific Alliance Medical Center  Kaiser Mental Health Center  Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center  Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center Centinela Campus  St Vincent Medical Center  Barlow Respiratory Hospital  Metropolitan State Hospital  Norwalk Community Hospital  Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center Hawthorne Campus  Garfield Medical Center  Shriners Hospitals for Children Los Angeles  Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital  Gateways Hospital & Mental Health Center  Temple Community Hospital  City of Angels Medical Center Ingleside Campus  Alhambra Hospital Medical Center  LAC Harbor UCLA Medical Center  Kindred Hospital Los Angeles  Long Beach Memorial Medical Center  Miller Children's Hospital  Pacific Hospital of Long Beach  VA Greater Los Angeles HealthCare System  Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center  BHC Alhambra Hospital  Childrens Hospital Los Angeles  Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center  Tri-City Regional Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center  Greater El Monte Community Hospital  Kindred Hospital La Mirada  Olympia Medical Center  Miracle Mile Medical Center  Whittier Hospital Medical Center  San Gabriel Valley Medical Center  Hollywood Community Hospital  Brotman Medical Center  Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance  Community Hospital of Long Beach  La Palma Intercommunity Hospital  St Mary Medical Center  Glendale Memorial Hospital & Health Center  Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center  Torrance Memorial Medical Center  Huntington Hospital  Cedars-Sinai Medical Center  Del Amo Hospital  Los Alamitos Medical Center  Glendale Adventist Medical Center  VA Long Beach Healthcare System 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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