Changes in the structural organization of bone after amputation

Abstract

Introduction: Despite a considerable amount of work on limb amputations, questions of the mechanism and conditions for the occurrence of pathological rearrangement in the bone stump and ways to prevent it remain unexplored. Aim: To study the nature of changes in the structural organization of bone stump after amputation. Material and methods: Nine series of experiments were conducted on 129 rabbits with amputation of the thigh and closure of the filing with fascia, muscles with varying degrees of tension and a bone plate. Duration of observation is 1, 3, and 6 months. The research method is histological with a filling of blood vessels with a mascara-gelatin mixture. Results and discussion: Tight closure of the bone marrow cavity and uniform muscle tension during plastic surgery in the I–III series of experiments make it possible to obtain cylindrical stumps with the formation of a bone closure plate and the completion of the reparative process. In the majority of observations of the IV–IX series, significant violations of the structural organization of the bone occurred in the form of conical, club-shaped, swollen stumps, creeping fractures. Conclusions: The rapid completion of the reparative process and the normalization of intraosseous circulation with a locking bone plate, while maintaining normal bone marrow tissue, is possible only with a dense closure of the filing. The lack of tight closure of the bone marrow canal and uneven muscle tension cause a violation of regeneration with changes in the structural organization of the bone. These changes are manifested by a thickening of the bone diameter, axis curvature, creeping fractures.