ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:After internal fixation, limb fracture nonunion is the most common complication. Many factors affect fracture healing, but in recent years researchers have found that serum leptin may be involved in the process of fracture healing to regulate a variety of metabolisms. OBJECTIVE:To analyze the relationship between the changes of serum leptin and fracture healing in patients with long tubular fracture of the limbs after internal fixation. METHODS:Sixty patients with long tubular bone fracture who underwent internal fixation treatment were selected, and divided into two groups, union group (n=30) and nonunion group (n=30), according to the degree of fracture healing at 8 months after operation. Another 30 healthy volunteers served as normal control group. Peripheral blood samples were extracted before and after internal fixation to detect the changes in serum leptin levels using ELISA. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Preoperative serum leptin level was higher in the union group and nonunion group than the normal control group as wel as higher in the union group than the nonunion group (P < 0.05). There was no difference in the serum leptin levels in the union group before and after operation, but the nonunion group had a higher preoperative serum leptin level than the postoperative level. These findings indicate that the serum leptin may have an influence on fracture healing.