title: In vivo gait analysis in a mouse femur fracture model.
abstract: Although the mouse has become a preferred species for molecular studies on fracture healing, gait analysis after fracture fixation and during bone healing has not yet been performed in mice. Herein, we introduce a novel technique for gait analysis in mice and report the change of motion pattern after fracture and fixation. A standardized femur fracture was stabilized by a common pin. The non-fractured tibia was additionally marked with a pin, allowing continuous analysis of the tibio-femoral angle by digital video-radiography. Dynamic gait analysis was performed at day fourteen after surgery in a radio-opaque running wheel. Fracture fixation resulted in a significantly reduced range and maximum of the tibio-femoral angle compared to non-fractured controls. This was associated with a significantly reduced stride length. Because stride frequency was slightly increased and, thus, stride time diminished, stride velocity was not significantly reduced compared to controls. Thus, our study demonstrates distinct alterations of the gait of mice at 2 weeks after femur fracture and stabilization. Our results support the need of gait analysis in fracture healing studies to assess the animals' well-being.
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Saarland, D-66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany. tina.histing@uks.eu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Histing
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kristen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Holstein
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Matthys
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Menger
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pohlemann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005592:Fracture Fixation; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D011859:Radiography; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology; D013977:Tibia / Q000503:physiopathology; D014741:Video Recording