title: The effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on fracture healing in nicotinized rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on fracture healing in nicotinized rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two rats were divided as follows: nicotinized group (1), hyperbaric oxygen group (2), nicotinized + hyperbaric oxygen group (3), and control group (4). For 28 days, nicotine was administered in Groups 1 and 3. Then, a standard shaft fracture was induced in the left femur of rats. Groups 2 and 3 underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy for 21 days. At the end of the experiment, fracture site, left femur and whole body bone mineral content and density were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The radiological and histopathological scores of Group 1 were statistically significantly lower compared to Groups 2, 3 and 4, and there was no statistically significant difference between the Groups 2, 3 and 4. In a comparison between the groups, no statistically significant difference was found in terms of bone mineral content and density values measured at the fracture site, left femur and whole body.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The negative effects of nicotine on fracture healing are eliminated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, but hyperbaric oxygen alone does not cause significant changes in healing (radiologically and histopathologically).
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey. abdullah_demirtas@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demirtaş
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Azboy
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bulut
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bekir Yavuz
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Uçar
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Celil
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alemdar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ulaş
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Alabalık
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Veysi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Akpolat
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yıldız
authors.affiliation: Department of Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine, Anadolu Hyperbaric Oxygen Centre, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Savaş
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ilgezdi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000187:drug effects*; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011859:Radiography; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine