What can cause a fracture to have delayed healing?

I created the Active Life Orthopedics Guides to help the people I can't see in my practice — practical guidance on recovering from orthopedic injuries and conditions — from a triple-board certified orthopedic surgeon — so you can get back to the active life you love. New titles releasing throughout 2026. 📚 Explore the series: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Dr.-Dav... Most bones heal in a few weeks or a few months depending on the bone, how severe the break is and how old you are. Sometimes, though, they don’t heal the way they should. In this Ask Dr. Geier video, I explain delayed healing and some common risks for slow bone healing. http://challenge.drdavidgeier.com/ds/... I want to help you! Please click the link above and take a few seconds to share the biggest challenge or struggle you’re facing with your injury! https://drdavidgeier.com/fracture-del... Click the link above for more information about delayed healing of a fracture and other resources for your sports or exercise injury. Get The Serious Injury Checklist FREE! How can you know if your injury should get better in a few days or if it's more serious? This checklist can help you plan your next step to recover quickly and safely. http://www.sportsmedicinesimplified.com Please note: I don't respond to questions and requests for specific medical advice left in the comments to my videos. I receive too many to keep up (several hundred per week), and legally I can't offer specific medical advice to people who aren't my patients (see below). If you want to ask a question about a specific injury you have, leave it in the comments below, and I might answer it in an upcoming Ask Dr. Geier video. If you need more detailed information on your injury, go to my Resources page: https://www.drdavidgeier.com/resources/ The content of this YouTube Channel,    / drdavidgeier   (“Channel”) is for INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. The Channel may offer health, fitness, nutritional and other such information, but such information is intended for educational and informational purposes only. This content should not be used to self-diagnose or self-treat any health, medical, or physical condition. The content does not and is not intended to convey medical advice and does not constitute the practice of medicine. YOU SHOULD NOT RELY ON THIS INFORMATION AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR, NOR DOES IT REPLACE, PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT. You should consult with your healthcare professional before doing anything contained on this Channel. You agree that Dr. Geier is not responsible for any actions or inaction on your part based on the information that is presented on the Channel. Dr. David Geier Enterprises, LLC makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of the content. USE OF THE CONTENT IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Carissa asks: I broke my humerus backpacking. I have a plate that bends down my elbow. I have 7 nails. The scar is really bad. It’s been 11 weeks, it’s swollen and I can’t use my thumb or my right hand in general much. The doctor said it’s “delayed healing.” I’m 46 and a non-smoker. What causes delayed healing? Delayed healing, or delayed union, means that a bone is taking longer to heal than normal. While the length of time varies based on the bones, generally orthopedic surgeons consider delayed healing when it has been three months or longer. Nonunion means the bone did not heal the way it should and likely won’t without some sort of treatment to make the bone heal. As for risks for delayed healing, Carissa mentions probably the biggest one – smoking. Smokers have a much higher risk of delayed healing than non-smokers. Other possible risks include diabetes, poor blood supply to a bone or part of a bone, certain medications, and more. In this video, I discuss some of the risks for delayed healing and what you might be able to do about it.