Why do kids heal so fast?
A case study
Last month my 2 year old daughter slid awkwardly down a playground rock wall and broke her leg. Specifically, she had a mild tib-fib fracture. That stands for tibia and fibula which are the two bones of the lower leg. That first week was terrible. We had a child with 2 year old opinions stuck with the mobility of a 7 month old. By the third week of having the cast, she was running and jumping in the cast. After just three weeks they removed the cast! Three weeks! When kids are that young their body heals extremely fast. I would not wish that experience on any kid or parent but… as a medical professional, I found it fascinating! Now I get to share a little about the bone healing process with you using her actual x-rays.
One of the reasons kids' bones heal so quickly is they have a much thicker periosteum. This is the thick connective tissue layer that houses all the nerves and blood vessels. This makes for a richer blood supply but also the inner part of this layer contains osteoblasts which are cells that generate new bone. This layer thins as we age.
After the initial break your body mounts that inflammatory response. This is an important step for removal of any waste or foreign bacteria but also to bring nutrient rich blood to the area. After the inflammatory phase your body creates a callous around the bone. This callus is initially soft but as those osteoblasts work that callus hardens and the break is surrounded by more bone than it needs. That area is now strong but it is not the ideal shape for function and energy transfer and so your body begins to remodel and slowly shave down the bone back to the perfect shape. Incredible!
Our bodies have an incredible ability to heal. They are constantly trying to heal and sometimes need to be given the right environment and support to do so properly. When you hire a physical therapist, you are essentially saying “help me create an environment where my body is able to recover from this injury”. We provide the education and steps needed to allow your body to do what it does best. Heal!
