Growth factors and cytokines in patients with long bone fractures and associated spinal cord injury.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to test the effect of acute traumatic spinal cord injury of quadriplegia or paraplegia on bone healing in patients with associated long bone fractures and to investigate the molecular and cellular events of the underlying mechanism for a possible acceleration. METHODS: Healing indicators of long bone fractures and growth factors, IGF-II, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Activin-A, and cytokine I-L-1, in the patients' blood were calculated and measured for 21 patients with spinal cord injuries and associated long bone fractures in prospective controlled study and compared to 20 patients with only spinal cord injuries, 30 patients with only long bone fractures, and 30 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: The study results showed that long bone fractures in patients with associated acute traumatic spinal cord injury of quadriplegia or paraplegia heal more expectedly, faster, and with exuberant florid union callus (P > 0.001) and show statistically significant higher levels of growth factors like PDGF, VEGF, Activin-A, and cytokine I-L-1, along the 3 weeks of follow-up (P > 0.005). I-IGF-II showed statistically significant subnormal level along the whole follow-up period in the same patients (P > 0.005). CONCLUSION: We concluded that long bone fractures in spinal cord injury patients heal more expectedly, faster, and with exuberant and florid callus formation; growth factors like IGF-II, PDGF, VEGF, Activin-A, and cytokine I-L-I have roles as mediators, in molecular events and as byproducts of the subtle mechanism of accelerated osteogenesis in these patients and may represent therapeutic potentials to serve as agents to enhance bone repair.

Bone Healing and Hormonal Bioassay in Patients with Long-Bone Fractures and Concomitant Head Injury.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate healing of fractures in patients with concomitant head injuries and to measure blood hormone levels to elucidate the mechanism of a possible accelerated osteogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and sixty-two patients were included in this study and divided into 3 cohorts: group A with head injuries only (n = 52); group B with head injuries as well as long-bone fractures (n = 50); group C with long-bone fractures only (n = 60). Fracture-healing parameters including time of appearance and thickness of the bridging callus, and blood hormonal assays were measured and compared using Student's t test. RESULTS: The mean time to healing was significantly lower in cohort B (6.9 ± 2.9 weeks) than C (22.4 ± 8.7 weeks; p = 0.001). The mean thickness of the healing callus was significantly higher in cohort B (26.3 ± 9.7 mm) than C (8.1 ± 5.9 mm; p = 0.002). The mean healing rate was also higher in cohort B (4.5 ± 2.3 mm/week) than C (0.38 ± 0.21 mm/week; p = 0.001). Blood hormonal assays in group B showed higher values of parathyroid hormone and growth hormone than in group C. However, adrenaline and noradrenaline values were lower in group B than in group C at all measured time intervals, and correspondingly leptin was lower in all groups (p = 0.001). Corticosteroid values were normal in group B compared to slightly higher values in group C, also at all measured time intervals. CONCLUSION: In this study, healing of fractures in patients with concomitant head injuries was accelerated, thereby indicating an involvement of a combined neurohormonal mechanism.

Histopathological examination of bone debris from reaming of interlocking intra-medullary nail fixation of long bone fractures with concomitant head injury.

BACKGROUD/AIM: The aim of study was to test, for the presence of osteoblasts in the reaming debris of intramedullary nailing of femoral and tibial fracture in patients with and without severe head injury. METHODS: Two groups of patients were studied. Group A (n = 32) had long bone fractures in addition to having head injuries. Group B (n = 35) had only long bone fractures. The fractures in the 2 groups of patients was treated by inter medullary nailing. Osteoblasts in the debris of the inter medullary nailing was compared between the 2 groups of patients. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that histopathological specimens from reaming debris of fractured femur and tibia in patients with head injury showed osteoblasts in (82.9%) and in (27.5%) of patients with isolated long bone fractures (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Healing indicators in diaphyseal fractures and concomitant head injury confirm fast and adequate healing in these patients and the presence of plenty of osteoblasts in their reaming debris may reflect a proof of accelerated fracture healing environment.