ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effect of total flavones of Rhizoma Drynariae on femur distraction osteogenesis in the rabbits. Methods Thirty-two healthy rabbits were randomly divided into treatment group and control group, 16 rabbits in each group. The femoral fracture was treated with unilateral femoral distraction and was fixed with a self-made distraction instrument. After 7-day intermittent period, the fractured femur was distracted at a rate of 1 mm/d, twice a day for 10 continuous days. The treatment group was fed with total flavones of Rhizoma Drynariae from the first post-operative day to the end of the experiment. And then all of the animals were sacrificed after fixation for 28 days. The bone specimens were used for histological observation and immunohistochemical detection. Results The area of mature bone in the newborn bone tissue of the treatment group was increased, and osteoblasts number and the percentage of trabecular bone area were significantly higher than those of the control group . The bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) were stained brown deeply, the staining degree being stronger than that of the control group. Conclusion Rhizoma Drynariae total flavones can effectively accelerate the formation and maturation of newborn bone tissue during bone distraction.