Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Neural factors have mediation role on fracture healing. But the exact mechanism has been unknown. This study is designed to further observe the effect of peripheral nerve and central nervous system on the fracture healing course.
OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of nerve loss (sciatic nerve and T10 spinal cord) on early callus generation in rats with femoral shaft fracture.
METHODS: Wistar rats were prepared for open hemi-femur middle fracture models, and were made the ipsilateral sciatic nerve transaction (SNT) and / or spinal cord transection at the T10 level (T10ST). All rats were executed 14 and 28 days after operation, then the samples of fracture site was drawn, which were used for radiologic measurements and microscope histology observation of the new bony callus.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: At 14 and 28 days after modeling, the bony callus imaging measurement results showed that the fracture healing of the SNT group was the fastest, and the T10ST group was slowest. The differences among the 3 groups had significance (P < 0.05); the histology observation showed that the bony callus was more mature in the control group, but there were immature bony callus in the SNT group and T10ST group. Peripheral nerve injury can accelerate the course of bone fracture healing, but the central nervous system injury will delayed the course. There are significant deficiencies to the construction of bony callus under the denervation state. Nerve is a necessary condition for fracture healing.