Osteoformin Accelerates Fresh Fracture Healing in Rats
Purpose
Negatively charged resins have been shown to stimulate bone repair. In previous studies, the negatively charged polypeptide polyaspartate, which has been named Osteoformin, has been shown to stimulate osteoblast differentiation in vitro. The objective of the current study was to investigate the potential effect of Osteoformin on experimental femoral fracture healing in vivo.
Materials and Methods
Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. The femurs of anesthetized rats were stabilized with intramedullary pins and subjected to closed midshaft transverse facture by bending to failure. In experimental rats, fracture sites were injected with 100 μg of Osteoformin dissolved in 0.1 mL phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at day 1 and day 7 after surgery; in controls groups, fracture sites received 0.1 mL PBS at the intervals indicated above. Between 2 and 4 weeks after fracture, the animals were sacrificed and the healing femurs were removed for radiographic and histologic analysis.
Results
Osteoformin decreased the healing time of fresh fractures in rats, as indicated by histologic and radiographic assessments.
Conclusion
The results of this study show that Osteoformin improves femoral fracture healing in rats.
⁎Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, and the Department of Surgery, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
†Professor and Chief, Department of Surgery, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
‡Research Associate, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
§Professor and Director, Clinical Biomechanics Lab, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Bi: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555-0174
ABSTRACT