A patient rehabilitating from a tibial plateau fracture gradually increases weight-bearing. Why does excessive early weight-bearing increase the risk of non-union at the fracture site?

💡 Explanation

Non-union risk increases with shear stress because it disrupts the delicate woven bone matrix and callus formation needed for initial stability; therefore, proper controlled weight-bearing is critical, rather than accelerating cartilage formation which is a distinct step in bone repair.

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