title: Effect of nicotine on the rate and strength of long bone fracture healing.
abstract: Empirical clinical observation suggests that cigarette smoking had an inhibitory effect on long bone fracture healing, but this has not been proven scientifically. Forty female New Zealand White rabbits had midshaft tibial osteotomies performed and plated. These were divided randomly into two groups receiving either systemic nicotine or saline (placebo). Lateral radiographs were taken at 4, 6, and 8 weeks that showed a 17.2% average difference in callus formation between the two groups and a significant lag in formation of cortical continuity in the nicotine group. The rabbits were sacrificed 8 weeks after fracture, and healing was compared biomechanically. Three (13%) fractures showed no clinical evidence of union in the nicotine group, whereas all fractures in the control group healed. Biomechanical testing showed the nicotine exposed bones to be 26% weaker in three-point bending than were those exposed to placebo.
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Medical Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Raikin
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Landsman
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Froimson
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Plaxton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009538:Nicotine / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits; D011859:Radiography; D011897:Random Allocation; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013977:Tibia / Q000098:blood supply; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine