Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2025, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (29): 6260-6268.doi: 10.12307/2025.742

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Mechanisms by which traumatic brain injury promotes bone callus formation and fracture healing

Liu Hanfei, Cai Zhencun, Zhou Xueting, Wen Hang, Chen Zhenjun   

  1. Central Hospital of Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang 110024, Liaoning Province, China
  • Received:2024-09-06 Accepted:2024-10-31 Online:2025-10-18 Published:2025-03-07
  • Contact: Chen Zhenjun, MS, Chief physician, Central Hospital of Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang 110024, Liaoning Province, China
  • About author:Liu Hanfei, Master candidate, Central Hospital of Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang 110024, Liaoning Province, China
  • Supported by:
    Shenyang Science and Technology Program Project, No. 22-321-32-13 (to CZC); The 2023 Basic Research Project of Liaoning Provincial Department of Education, No. JYTMS20231396 (to CZC)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Delayed healing and nonunion of fractures are common clinical issues. Clinical observations have shown that patients with limb fractures combined with traumatic brain injury experience significantly faster fracture healing compared with those without brain injury. The potential mechanisms behind this phenomenon have become a crucial focus of current research. Recent studies indicate that traumatic brain injury significantly accelerates callus formation and fracture healing processes by regulating cytokines, hormones, neural signals, and stem cell mechanisms.
OBJECTIVE: To summarize the latest research progress in the mechanisms by which traumatic brain injury promotes callus formation and fracture healing, thereby providing a theoretical basis for clinical applications.
METHODS: The first author conducted a search of CNKI, WanFang, VIP, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for literature published from January 2013 to October 2024, with some references traced back up to 20 years. The search terms used were “traumatic brain injury, callus, fracture healing, inflammatory response, cytokines, hormones, neuropeptides, genes, stem cells” in Chinese and English. A total of 83 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were ultimately selected.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The mechanism by which traumatic brain injury promotes callus formation and fracture healing is highly complex, involving multiple regulatory pathways such as cytokines, hormones, the nervous system, and stem cells. However, the precise mechanisms are still not fully understood and require further investigation. Current research suggests that traumatic brain injury accelerates bone callus formation and bone tissue regeneration by promoting the release of cytokines (e.g., insulin-like growth factor-1) and hormones (e.g., growth hormone and leptin), regulating the nervous system, and promoting stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Additionally, traumatic brain injury triggers a series of immune responses, including the release of inflammatory factors and activation of immune cells, which modulate fracture healing. These responses improve local blood flow, cell migration, and fibroblast activation, supporting various stages of bone healing. Stem cell activation induced by traumatic brain injury is also crucial, as activated stem cells differentiate into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes, facilitating bone tissue regeneration and repair. Therefore, traumatic brain injury-induced immune responses and stem cell activation work together to accelerate fracture healing, providing essential support for the process. These mechanisms significantly shorten the healing time and improve patient outcomes. In conclusion, traumatic brain injury promotes callus formation and fracture healing through multiple mechanisms, highlighting its importance in bone repair. Future research should focus on the signaling pathways and regulatory factors influenced by traumatic brain injury to further understand its mechanisms. These findings will provide a foundation for developing targeted therapies, stem cell treatments, and neural regulation therapies, with potential clinical value in shortening healing time, optimizing recovery protocols, and improving prognosis. Exploring traumatic brain injury-induced biological effects will open new avenues for fracture treatment.

Key words: traumatic brain injury, callus, fracture healing, inflammatory response, cytokines, hormones, neuropeptides, genes, stem cells

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