Healing of osteoporotic bone: experimental study in rats

We advance a new method of evaluation of fracture healing in long bones by istomorphometric and densitometric studies comparing a normal group of laboratory animals to another one affected by osteoporosis. We have created a sperimental loss of bone substance in the rat's tibial diaphysis by transcortical trephining, a method that limitates the mechanical influences on bone healing. We have verified that rats affected by the induced metabolic disease need longer time to repare the bone injury, although the evolution course is the same in the two groups.