THE SECRETS OF OUR SKELETONS REVEALED Bone Facts You’ve Likely Never Heard
STRONGER BONES REPLACE WHAT WE BROKE. Breaking a bone is a scary experience, regardless of age. Arm bones are the most commonly broken among adults, making up nearly half of all cases, whereas collarbones are the most common for children. When you break a bone, you may believe it needs time to return to its original position and shape, but that’s not exactly how it works. Instead, blood vessels immediately form in the area of a broken bone to advance the healing process. After three weeks, collagen takes the place of the blood vessels, starts to harden, and keeps any broken pieces in place. Over time, the pieces fuse to form a new bone, often stronger than the original. MALE AND FEMALE SKELETONS ARE SIMILAR. When you compare men’s and women’s skeletons, they share most characteristics. The femur is the longest and strongest bone, and the stapes in our middle ear is the smallest and lightest bone in both bodies. Both skeletons have 54 bones in the hands, fingers, and wrists. The only major difference is in the pelvis. A woman’s pelvis’s shape, size, and angle are optimally designed for childbirth.
Our bodies are made up of bones and joints that we rarely acknowledge unless we feel pain or are recovering from an injury. We have no reason to worry about them when we can move comfortably, but that doesn’t mean they’re unimportant. Without bones, we would be squishy blobs on the ground, unable to move, eat, speak, or do anything else. Let’s explore three lesser-known facts about our skeletons, no bones about it! WE HAVE FEWER BONES NOW THAN WE HAD AS CHILDREN. Humans are born with 275–300 bones, the malleable framework for our tiny infant bodies, but that drops to 206 bones once we reach adulthood. Where did they go? Childbirth requires
flexible membranes, and hard, sturdy bones would make the process painful for any expectant mother. Many baby bones are nothing more than cartilage, and as we grow, our bones fuse and harden through ossification, leaving us with around 100 fewer bones. However, bone density and strength continue to change as we age.
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“I want to take time to thank the wonderful staff at Horizon Physical Therapy for helping me gain full recovery of my left knee. I started therapy in July with extreme pain in my left knee from an injury while doing yard work. The program worked wonders in helping me recover in 20 visits. I am a retired registered surgical nurse and I really appreciate the doctors and therapist who took great care of me. I would highly recommend Horizon to anyone who needs therapy.” –Paula F.
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