scholarly journals Correlating mRUST scoring with fracture healing in the mouse model

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony McGuire ◽  
Adam Knox ◽  
Caio de Andrade Staut ◽  
Melissa Kacena ◽  
Roman Natoli ◽  
...  

Background/Objective: Long bone fractures are an expensive and frequent cause of disability in humans. Research seeking to accelerate and improve the healing process is more essential than ever. Animal models, mice especially, provide an inexpensive and reproducible model of in vivo fracture healing. However, many measures of murine fracture healing outcomes are either expensive or destructive, limiting their ability to be translated to clinical studies. We seek to determine how these measures such as biomechanics, µCT, and histology correlate to the relatively new, inexpensive, and non-destructive method of mRUST scoring in a mouse model.  Methods: One hundred and thirty-five, 12-week old male C57BL6/J mice were divided into nine groups of 15 mice. Mice underwent a surgically created, femoral fracture. At biweekly timepoints, anteroposterior and lateral radiographs were taken, and 15 mice were sacrificed at each time point (7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28, 35, and 42 days post-surgery) for biomechanical, µCT, and histological analyses. The modified Radiographic Union Scale for Tibial fractures (mRUST scoring) provides a score based on the visualization of a callus and fracture line in four cortices on the radiographs. Data analysis will be performed to determine the degree of correlation between mRUST scoring and other fracture healing outcomes.  Results/Conclusion: Data collection in this experiment is still forthcoming. Upon successful completion of this project, we will have established numerical correlations between mRUST scoring and other fracture healing outcomes, such as biomechanics, µCT microarchitecture, and histology. These correlations will provide a powerful tool in future mouse fracture healing studies, as data on the state and strength of fracture repair could be determined by simple radiograph.  Scientific/Clinical Policy Impact and Implications: This study will both provide future murine fracture studies with an inexpensive and non-destructive method of assessment that is more directly translatable to human fracture studies. 

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Knoximprs ◽  
Anthony McGuire ◽  
Christopher Collier ◽  
Melissa Kacena ◽  
Roman Natoli

Background/Objective: Long bone fractures are of the most common and costly medical traumas humans experience.  Adequate characterization of the fracture healing process and development of potential medical interventions generally involves fracture induction operations on animal models of varying treatment or genetic groups, then analyzing relative repair success via synthesis of diverse assessment methodologies.  This review discusses the procedures, relevant parameters, special considerations, and key correlations of these major methodologies of fracture repair quantification.  Methods: A literature review was conducted for articles discussing the procedures or identifying correlations between each of the major fracture healing assessment methodologies.    Results: These methodologies include biomechanical testing, which provides the most direct quantification of skeletal functionality; micro-computed tomography, which enables high resolution visualization of fracture callus architecture; histology which helps elucidate the intricate processes underlying fracture repair; and x-ray which offers a non-invasive and clinically relevant view of fracture repair progress.  Each of these methodologies measure parameters directly correlating to restored functionality of fractured bone.  Conclusion: When appropriately integrated, synthesis of relevant parameters from each methodology of fracture repair assessment enables a comprehensive understanding of varying fracture healing outcomes and associated causalities.  Scientific/Clinical Policy Impact and Implications: This review may guide the interpretation and planning of fracture healing studies utilizing murine models. 


Author(s):  
Gregory Lowen ◽  
Katherine Garrett ◽  
Moore-Lotridge Stephanie ◽  
Sasidhar Uppuganti ◽  
Scott A. Guelcher ◽  
...  

Abstract Delayed long bone fracture healing and nonunion continue to be a significant socioeconomic burden. While mechanical stimulation is known to be an important determinant of the bone repair process, understanding how the magnitude, mode, and commencement of interfragmentary strain (IFS) affect fracture healing can guide new therapeutic strategies to prevent delayed healing or non-union. Mouse models provide a means to investigate the molecular and cellular aspects of fracture repair, yet there is only one commercially available, clinically-relevant, locking intramedullary nail (IMN) currently available for studying long bone fractures in rodents. Having access to alternative IMNs would allow a variety of mechanical environments at the fracture site to be evaluated, and the purpose of this proof-of-concept finite element analysis study is to identify which IMN design parameters have the largest impact on IFS in a murine transverse femoral osteotomy model. Using the dimensions of the clinically relevant IMN as a guide, the nail material, distance between interlocking screws, and clearance between the nail and endosteal surface were varied between simulations. Of these parameters, changing the nail material from stainless steel (SS) to polyetheretherketone (PEEK) had the largest impact on IFS. Reducing the distance between the proximal and distal interlocking screws substantially affected IFS only when nail modulus was low. Therefore, IMNs with low modulus (e.g., PEEK) can be used alongside commercially available SS nails to investigate the effect of initial IFS or stability on fracture healing with respect to different biological conditions of repair in rodents.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (s1) ◽  
pp. 105-106
Author(s):  
Jeffery Jay Howard Nielsen ◽  
Stewart A. Low ◽  
Philip S. Low

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a bone fracture targeted systemically administrable bone anabolic as a potential therapeutic for bone fracture repair. Currently all bone fracture repair therapeutic require local administration during surgery. However, the population that need the most assistance in repair bone fractures are not eligible for surgery. So, it was our goal to design an inject-able therapeutic to assist in bone fracture repair to reduce the invasiveness. The injectable nature of it allows for repair administration of the bone anabolic and for therapeutic effect throughout the entire bone fracture healing process. Targeting it to the bone fracture site reduces the toxicity and increases the efficacy. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: METHODS To achieve the above objective, a bone mineral-(hydroxyapatite-) targeting oligopeptide was conjugated to the non-signaling end of an engineered parathyroid hormone related protein fragment 1-46 with substitutions at Glu22,25, Leu23,28,31, Aib29, Lys26,30 (ePTHrP). The negatively charged oligopeptide has been shown to target raw hydroxyapatite with remarkable specificity, while the attached PTHrP has been demonstrated to induce sustained and accelerated bone growth under control of endogenous morphogenic regulatory factors. The conjugate’s specificity arises from the fact that raw hydroxyapatite is only exposed whenever a bone is fractured, surgically cut, grafted, or induced to undergo accelerated remodeling. The hydroxyapatite-targeted conjugate can therefore be administered systemically (i.e. without invasive surgery or localized injection) and still accumulate on the exposed hydroxyapatite at the fracture site where it accelerates the healing process Murine in vivo experiments were conducted on female Swiss Webster mice (10 per group). Femoral fractures were induced with a 3-point bending device and stabilized. Mice were dosed with 3 nmol/kg/d of targeted-ePTHrP, non-conjugated (free) ePTHrP, or saline. Following a 4-week study, fracture callus densities were measured using microCT. Canine in vivo experiments were conducted on 1-year-old male beagles. Beagles underwent a 10 mm bilateral ulnar ostectomy. Two dogs in the treatment group and Three dogs in the control group were dosed daily with either targeted-ePTHrP 0.5nmol/kg/d or saline respectively. Dogs were x-rayed weekly for the first 6 weeks and then every other week thereafter. One tailed ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s post-hoc test was used to establish significance. All animal experiments were conducted as described in approved IACUC protocols. P<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: RESULTS SECTION: In the murine studies we observed a marked increase in fracture callus size and a 2-fold increase in bone deposition was observed in the targeted-ePTHrP group over the saline group (P<0.01). A significant doubling in bone density was also observed. Targeted-ePTHrP group fractured femurs were able to achieve their pre-fracture strength as early as 3 weeks compared to 9 weeks in the saline mice representing a 66% reduction in healing time. In the canine studies, we observe a significantly higher closure of the ostectomy gap than saline controls (P<0.05). In addition, no significant differences in weight are observed in the treatment vs. saline controls. No significant difference between the control group and treatment groups was found in a histological investigation of the organs. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: DISCUSSION: Although attempts have been made in developing a systemically administered fracture therapeutic for fracture repair, i.e. teriparatide, to date, no such anabolics have been approved for this use. In these studies there is evidence that anabolic activity was occurring at the fracture site, but at a level that did not meet FDA required end-points.2 It is plausible that if sufficient drug were to be delivered to a fracture site then improved fracture repair would be possible. In previous studies, we demonstrated fracture specific accumulation bone anabolics can be achieved by modifying the drug with acidic oligopeptides.3 Here, by modifying a safe, clinically proven, parathyroid hormone receptor agonist with an acidic oligopeptide we observe improved bone deposition and strength in mice. Furthermore, when administered to canine critical sized defect ostectomies, a more relevant and difficult model, we observe improved ostectomy closure. CLINICAL RELEVANCE:: The ability to accelerate bone fracture repair is a fundamental need that has not been addressed by conventional methods. By targeting bone anabolic agents to bone fractures, we can deliver sufficient concentrations of anabolic agent to the fracture site to accelerate healing, thus avoiding surgery and any ectopic bone growth associated with locally-applied bone anabolic agents.


2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-159
Author(s):  
Suyoung Heo ◽  
Kyoungmin So ◽  
Sehoon Kim ◽  
Minsu Kim ◽  
Haebeom Lee ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of xenogenic cortical bone (XCB) on fracture repair in the canine ulna. The entire group of animals (n = 12) had a transverse resection of 5 mm length at the middle part of the right ulnar diaphysis. In Group A (eight beagles), the fracture was treated with XCB and metal bone screw. In Group B (four beagles), the fracture was treated with metal bone plate and screw. Radiological, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), histological examination and mechanical testing were employed to evaluate bone healing and reaction of XCB in the host bone. In Group A, bone union was noticed in 6 out of 8 dogs (75%), starting from the 4th week onwards. Micro-CT and histological examinations showed that the XCB was absorbed and incorporated into the host bone. Incorporation of XCB was observed in 7 cases (88%); it started from the 10th week onwards and continued to week 32 after surgery. Biomechanical strength of the bone fracture site was higher in Group A than in Group B, and was similar to that of normal bone. XCB enhances the bone healing process and can be used as absorbable internal fixation for the management of long bone fractures in dogs.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Wehrle ◽  
Duncan C Tourolle né Betts ◽  
Gisela A Kuhn ◽  
Ariane C Scheuren ◽  
Sandra Hofmann ◽  
...  

AbstractLongitudinalin vivomicro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is of interest to non-invasively capture the healing process of individual animals in preclinical fracture healing studies. However, it is not known whether longitudinal imaging itself has an impact on callus formation and remodeling. In this study, a scan group received weekly micro-CT measurements (week 0-6), whereas controls were only scanned post-operatively and at week 5 and 6. Registration of consecutive scans using a branching scheme (bridged vs. unbridged defect) combined with a two-threshold approach enabled assessment of localized bone turnover and mineralization kinetics relevant for monitoring callus remodeling. Weekly micro-CT application did not significantly change any of the assessed callus parameters in the defect and periosteal volumes. This was supported by histomorphometry showing only small amounts of cartilage residuals in both groups, indicating progression towards the end of the healing period. Also, immunohistochemical staining of Sclerostin, previously associated with mediating adverse radiation effects on bone, did not reveal differences between groups.The established longitudinalin vivomicro-CT-based approach allows monitoring of healing phases in mouse femur defect models without significant effects of anesthesia, handling and radiation on callus properties. Therefore, this study supports application of longitudinalin vivomicro-CT for healing-phase-specific monitoring of fracture repair in mice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Wehrle ◽  
Duncan C. Tourolle né Betts ◽  
Gisela A. Kuhn ◽  
Ariane C. Scheuren ◽  
Sandra Hofmann ◽  
...  

AbstractLongitudinal in vivo micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is of interest to non-invasively capture the healing process of individual animals in preclinical fracture healing studies. However, it is not known whether longitudinal imaging itself has an impact on callus formation and remodeling. In this study, a scan group received weekly micro-CT measurements (week 0–6), whereas controls were only scanned post-operatively and at week 5 and 6. Registration of consecutive scans using a branching scheme (bridged vs. unbridged defect) combined with a two-threshold approach enabled assessment of localized bone turnover and mineralization kinetics relevant for monitoring callus remodeling. Weekly micro-CT application did not significantly change any of the assessed callus parameters in the defect and periosteal volumes. This was supported by histomorphometry showing only small amounts of cartilage residuals in both groups, indicating progression towards the end of the healing period. Also, immunohistochemical staining of Sclerostin, previously associated with mediating adverse radiation effects on bone, did not reveal differences between groups. The established longitudinal in vivo micro-CT-based approach allows monitoring of healing phases in mouse femur defect models without significant effects of anesthesia, handling and radiation on callus properties. Therefore, this study supports application of longitudinal in vivo micro-CT for healing-phase-specific monitoring of fracture repair in mice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Hux ◽  
Jeffery Nielson ◽  
Caio De Andrade Staut ◽  
Vincent Alentado ◽  
Abduallah Elsayed ◽  
...  

Megakaryocytes play a pivotal role in the bone fracture healing process through enhancing osteoblast proliferation, osteoclastogenesis, and angiogenesis. Current fracture repair therapies require direct implantation during surgery (BMP-2, grafts etc.), which has limitations. In order to address this, a novel drug, compound MAK122, was created with targeting technology that directs its actions to the fracture site without needing to be implanted during surgery, limiting undesirable offsite effects, increasing the quantity of drug at the fracture site, and allowing for non-invasive treatment following assessment of the natural healing process. Therefore, this study examined the ability of MAK122 to stimulate megakaryocytes and subsequent bone healing. To accomplish this, male mice on a C57BL/6 background underwent a surgically induced femoral fracture. Following surgery, the mice were injected daily for the first 7 days with either saline (vehicle) or MAK122. Mice were then euthanized 2, 3 and 4 weeks post-surgery.  Fracture healing was assessed by standard and novel methodologies. Biweekly X-rays were evaluated and bone union was scored showing that MAK122 accelerated bone healing compared to controls. Ex vivo µCT analysis demonstrated that MAK122 increased callus volume and the percentage of mineralized callus tissue compared to vehicle treatment. Biomechanical testing showed that MAK122 treatment resulted in stronger repairs as compared to vehicle treated controls with nearly a 2-fold increase in twist to failure and toughness parameters. Additionally, histological assessment demonstrated accelerated remodeling in MAK122 treated femurs compared to those treated with saline. Taken together, these pre-clinical data suggest that MAK122 is capable of promoting an environment in which megakaryocytes can favorably influence bone remodeling mechanisms, expediting fracture repair in murine models. Though further pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and toxicology studies are required, MAK122 displays potential to serve as a state-of-the-art therapy for improving fracture healing in humans.


2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 429-433
Author(s):  
Solyom Arpad ◽  
Cristian Trambitas ◽  
Ecaterina Matei ◽  
Eugeniu Vasile ◽  
Fodor Pal ◽  
...  

Osteoplasty, is a procedure mostly applied in complicated bone fractures. Nowadays this method is widely used in primary fracture treatment while the native bone graft is progressively replaced with various synthetic bone substitutes. From the numerous bone grafts we�d like to mention a representative of ceramics, the S53P4 bioactive glass. (BonAlive�). The aim of this study was to investigate the healing process of different fracture types generated on rabbit femurs. During this experiment we used seven common European rabbits. We separated these animals into two groups; in the first group we surgically generated a total fracture in the middle 1/3 of the femur, while in the second group, we produced only a bone defect on the femur. The osteoplasty was carried out with bioactive glass and autologous bone grafts. The radiographic follow-up was immediate after the operation and after 3, 6 and 7 weeks. The animals were euthanized after 19, 20 and 21 weeks, for histomorphometric examination of the femur. It was also studied the ionic release from the used bioactive glass at physiological pH and the etching of the glass was studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-239
Author(s):  
Yun Li ◽  
Guanghua Liu ◽  
Feng Xiao ◽  
Wenqin Gu ◽  
Zhengdong Gao ◽  
...  

We did this research to observe the effect of LIPUS on long bone fracture repair and caveolin-1, β-catenin signaling expression in the radius defects of rabbits, to explore its possible molecular mechanisms. 24 male New Zealand rabbits with bilateral radial bone defects were divided into 4 groups randomly, n = 6. The right side had daily LIPUS exposure for 20 minutes, while the left received sham treatment. After 7, 14, 21, 28 days, respectively, fracture healing was observed by X-ray imaging and Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan, specimens were harvested for histology, immunohistochemistry, and gene expression analysis. We found that LIPUS brought forward endochondral ossification, increased the bone callus size without changes in Bone Mineral Density (BMD). The caveolin-1 expression increased first then decreased, while the β-catenin kept growing during the process. These demonstrated that caveolin-1 participated in fracture healing accelerated by LIPUS, which was speculated to play a dual role in β-catenin signaling expression.


Author(s):  
Brandon G. Santoni ◽  
Rohat Melik ◽  
Emre Unal ◽  
Nihan Kosku Perkgoz ◽  
Debra A. Kamstock ◽  
...  

Orthopaedic extremity injuries present a large medical and financial burden to the United States and world-wide communities [1]. Approximately six million long bone fractures are reported annually in the United States and approximately 10% of these fractures do not heal properly. Though the exact mechanism of impaired healing is poorly understood, many of these non-unions result when there is a communited condition that does not proceed through a stabilized healing pathway [2]. Currently, clinicians may monitor healing visually by radiographs, or via manual manipulation of the bone at the fracture [3]. Unfortunately, the course of aberrant fracture healing is not easily diagnosed in the early period when standard radiographic information of the fracture is not capable of discriminating the healing pathway. Manual assessment of fracture healing is also an inadequate diagnostic tool in the early stages of healing [4].


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