title: Histological and biomechanical effects of zoledronate on fracture healing in an osteoporotic rat tibia model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to investigate the effects of zoledronate therapy on histological and biomechanical properties of bone healing via a fracture model generated on osteoporotic rat tibiae.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ovariectomized 40 Wistar-Dawley female rats weighing 300 g to 350 g were used in the study. After one week, 2 IU/g heparin injection was started subcutaneously. After four weeks of daily injections, osteoporosis was ensued proven with bone mineral density measurements. Osteoporotic rats were separated into four equal groups randomly as group A (control), group B (calcium and vitamin D), group C (0.1 mg/kg subcutaneous zoledronic acid), and group D (calcium and vitamin D / 0.1 mg/kg subcutaneous zoledronic acid). Six weeks later, all rats were sacrificed, their tibiae were resected, and histopathologic and biomechanical studies were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group C (30.2±1 Nm) and group D (33.3±3 Nm) had significantly higher peak torque values than group A (21.6±6 Nm) and group B (23.6±4 Nm) (p=0.007 and p=0.005, respectively). Group C (1.8) and group D (2.0) had higher stiffness values than group A (1.4) and group B (1.7); however, the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05 for all).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to histopathological and biomechanical test results, single dose zoledronic acid treatment improves fracture healing in an osteoporotic rat fracture model. Orally administered daily calcium and vitamin D treatment had no effect on fracture healing. There was no additional improvement in fracture healing when calcium and vitamin D treatment was added to zoledronic acid treatment. Positive effects of zoledronic acid treatment on osteoporotic fracture healing and callus quality should be shown by future clinical studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Medical Faculty of Sakarya University, 54050 Sakarya, Turkey. meturker@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Türker
authors.forename: Arif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aslan
authors.forename: Meriç
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Çırpar
authors.forename: Alauddin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kochai
authors.forename: Özlem Banu
authors.initials: ÖB
authors.lastname: Tulmaç
authors.forename: Mahi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balcı
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001861:Bone Regeneration; D002146:Bony Callus / Q000187:drug effects; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000187:drug effects*; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013977:Tibia / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077211:Zoledronic Acid
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates; D007093:Imidazoles; D014807:Vitamin D; D000077211:Zoledronic Acid