THE EFFECTS OF ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF L-DOPA ON HEALING OF FRACTURES AND REPAIR OF DEFECTS IN THE PATELLAR CARTI-LAGE / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Administration of L-dopa may cause release of growth hormone into the blood which in turn resuks in increased anabolism. The purpose of this article is to study the effects of oral L-dopa in rabbits on healing of fracture and repair of patellar cartilage.57 mature rabbits were divided into 4 groups in the experiment. A 3mm long segment of middle shaft of the fibula was excised and a transverse defect with a width of 1.5mm and a depth down to the calcified layer at the middle of articular cartilage of patella was created. After operation the rabbits of the first 3 groups were fed with 0.1 g L-dopa/kg BW and 0.2g L-dopa/kg BW daily for 2-4 weeks. The effects of oral L-dopa on healing of the fractures and repair of the cartilaginous defects were studied ra-diologically and histologically. Remarkable promotion on healing of the fractures and repair of the patellar cartilage was observed, more so in the 0.24 L-dopa/ kg BW group. Chondrocellular mitoses and regenerat-ing cartilage from both proximal and distal edges of the defect for its repair in over 80% of specimens were observed in L-dopa groups, while no Chondrocellular mitosis and only 23% of specimens with proximal and distal regeneration of cartilage were presented in the control group