title: Glucosamine-sulfate on fracture healing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study is to determine whether glucosamine-sulfate has any effects on bone-healing.
  
  
  METHODS
  A unilateral fracture was created in the tibia of sixty-one female rats. Rats were given no drug or 230 mg/kg glucosamine-sulfate daily. Fractures were analyzed during the first, second and fourth weeks after creation of fracture. Quantitative measurement for new bone formation and osteoblast lining were determined histologically. Semiquantitative score for fracture healing was used for histomorphometric analyses. Bridging bone formation was assessed radiographically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  New bone formation and osteoblast lining were significantly higher in glucosamine-treated group at week 1. Surrounding connective tissue was more cellular and vascular, and the newly formed bone trabecules were present in greater amounts in glucosamine-treated group, compared to control group at week 1 and 4. But radiologically, the control group had better scores than that of the glucosamine-treated group at week 4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data demonstrate that daily glucosamine-sulfate administration accelerates early phase of fracture repair in the rat tibia, with increased new bone formation and osteoblast lining histologically, but radiologic bone union is not favored on radiographs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Haseki Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey. akinugras@gmail.com
authors.forename: Akın
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uğraş
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Güzel
authors.forename: Petek
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Korkusuz
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dikici
authors.forename: Emrah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Demirbaş
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Çetinus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage; D005260:Female; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000187:drug effects*; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010006:Osteoblasts; D011859:Radiography; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013977:Tibia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005944:Glucosamine