Primary healing of physeal separation under rigid fixation.
We observed the healing process under rigid external fixation after Salter-Harris type-1 or type-2 physeal separation at the proximal tibia in immature rabbits. Metaphyseal vessels grew across the gap with little delay; the site of separation then came to lie in the metaphysis and was bridged by endochondral ossification. Union was achieved within two days in all rabbits. Progression of endochondral ossification repaired the separated physis, thus showing 'primary healing of physeal separation'. This depends on accurate reduction and stable fixation to allow the survival of vessels across the gap.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
S
S
Iwabu
T
T
Sasaki
M
M
Kameyama
T
T
Teruya
Y
Y
Horiuchi
Y
Y
Yabe
D000818:Animals; D001858:Bone Nails; D004838:Epiphyses / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D004839:Epiphyses, Slipped / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery*; D016267:External Fixators; D005260:Female; D005337:Fibrin / Q000032:analysis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006132:Growth Plate / Q000473:pathology; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology; D006984:Hypertrophy; D010012:Osteogenesis; D011817:Rabbits; D013193:Stainless Steel; D013977:Tibia / Q000098:blood supply / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014945:Wound Healing
D013193:Stainless Steel; D005337:Fibrin