Detection of high-energy phosphates in cortical bone as an indicator of bone healing and remodelling: use of a rabbit model.
PURPOSE; To study high-energy phosphates in cortical bone through experiments on inbred white New Zealand rabbits.


METHODS
Tibial fractures were induced in 80 rabbits and then stabilised by screw osteosynthesis. After 3 (group A; n=40) or 7 days (groups B; n=40), the defective tissue was covered by local muscle flaps. At increasing intervals (from 1 to 16 weeks), the screws were removed and the animals were euthanised (n=8 per group). The bone was removed and analysed histomorphologically; adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography.


RESULTS
The mean ATP concentration in healthy cortical bone at 16 weeks was 0.092 (standard error, 0.009) nmol/mg dry mass, which was significantly higher than that in the group with delayed healing: 0.081 (0.011) nmol/mg in group A and 0.005 (0.001) nmol/mg in group B (paired t test, p<0.05). Earlier healing led to lower rates of necrosis (0 vs 38; groups A vs B) and osteomyelitis.


CONCLUSIONS
Early muscle-flap coverage can revascularise the cortical bone, which is reflected in the higher ATP content in the cortical bone measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Measuring changes of ATP levels can help investigate the metabolism of the pathological bone.
Buchholz
J
J
Surgical Clinic Wermelskirchen, Wermelskirchen, Germany.
Huber
F X
FX
Meeder
P J
PJ
Muhr
G
G
Kreitz
G K
GK
Herzog
L
L
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D016723:Bone Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*; D001863:Bone Screws; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery*
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate