Effect on Bones
Because they’re such hard structures, it may seem like bones would be impervious to the harms that smoking can cause. But like all tissues and organs in the body, bones are nourished by a steady flow of blood-bringing nutrients—such as minerals like calcium—and oxygen.
The active ingredient in cigarette smoke, nicotine, causes blood vessels to constrict to approximately 25% of their normal diameter. This interferes with the amount of blood that reaches bones and effectively deprives them of adequate nourishment. Without a healthy blood supply, bones that are injured cannot heal as quickly or, in some cases, as completely as they otherwise would.
Evidence
There is plenty of research demonstrating the impact of smoking on bone healing. In a study comparing smokers with non-smokers who had surgery to treat wrist injuries, 95% of the non-smokers healed completely, while only 68% of the smokers healed completely. What’s more, it took the smokers who did heal completely two months longer to recover.
Similarly, a review of studies looking at the effects of smoking on people who’ve undergone shoulder surgery to repair a rotator cuff found that smokers with rotator cuff tears had overall poor outcomes and decreased biomechanics.
Another review concluded that smoking impaired healing of tibia fractures (broken shin bones). Healing time was longer even among ex-smokers.
A Word From Verywell
If you’re a smoker and you break, fracture, or otherwise injure a bone, it would be ideal if at all possible to kick the habit or at least try not to smoke until you’re fully healed. Doing so will increase your chances of recovering completely, shorten the amount of time it takes for your bone to mend, and make it more likely you’ll be satisfied with your outcome.
If you are going to have orthopedic surgery, your surgeon is likely to recommend you quit smoking weeks to months in advance. If you can be an ex-smoker by the time you have surgery, and you don’t smoke during recovery, you’re likely to improve your healing time and surgical success.
