Forces Associated with Launch into Space do not Impact Bone Fracture Healing

Publication date: Available online 11 November 2017 Source:Life Sciences in Space Research Author(s): Paul Childress, Alexander Brinker, Cynthia-May S. Gong, Jonathan Harris, David J. Olivos, Jeffrey D. Rytlewski, David C. Scofield, Sungshin Y. Choi, Yasaman Shirazi-Fard, Todd O. McKinley, Tien-Min G. Chu, Carolynn L. Conley, Nabarun Chakraborty, Rasha Hammamieh, Melissa A. Kacena Segmental bone defects (SBDs) secondary to trauma invariably result in a prolonged recovery with an extended period of limited weight bearing on the affected limb. Soldiers sustaining blast injuries and civilians sustaining high energy trauma typify such a clinical scenario. These patients frequently sustain composite injuries with SBDs in concert with extensive soft tissue damage. For soft tissue injury resolution and skeletal reconstruction a patient may experience limited weight bearing for upwards of 6 months. Many small animal investigations have evaluated interventions for SBDs. While providing foundational information regarding the treatment of bone defects, these models do not simulate limited weight bearing conditions after injury. For example, mice ambulate immediately following anesthetic recovery, and in most cases are normally ambulating within 1-3 days post-surgery. Thus, investigations that combine disuse with bone healing may better test novel bone healing strategies. To remove weight bearing, we have designed a SBD rodent healing study in microgravity (µG) on the I...
Source: Life Sciences in Space Research - Category: Biology Source Type: research