A new device to produce a standardized experimental fracture in the rat tibia.
OBJECTIVE
To develop and introduce a new device to produce a standardized closed experimental fracture in the rat tibia.


METHODS
This study took place in the Research Laboratory, Medical Faculty, Dokuz Eylul University, in the year 2003. We include 20 healthy male white Wistar rats. After pinning both tibia of the rat intramedullary with the needle of a sterile injector without any incision, we tried to produce a fracture with the pendulum of the device, which was dropped in different angles in 9 rats. The tibial diaphysis of 14 rats in the main study were fractured at 60 degrees. After the fractures were confirmed radiologically, 4 tibia underwent pathological analysis to determine the degree of soft tissue damage and 24 tibia were examined in terms of histological fracture healing.


RESULTS
Radiologically, this technique resulted in a transverse or short oblique bicortical fracture in the middle of the tibial diaphysis. The healing process was well adjusted with the classification of Allen. No noticeable soft tissue damage in the fracture region was demonstrated.


CONCLUSIONS
This method of producing an easy and reproducible fracture in a standard fashion without displacement and minimal soft tissue trauma in laboratory animals with this simple apparatus make it a useful technique for bone healing studies.
Tatari
Hasan
H
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Ismir, Turkey. hasan.tatari@deu.edu.tr
Fidan
Mustafa
M
Erbil
Guven
G
Koyuncuoglu
Meral
M
Karci
Tolga
T
Destan
Hakan
H
Tekmen
Isil
I
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013978:Tibial Fractures