Open Femoral Fractures Research Articles

Lowering of the Patella — prevention and treatment of a rare complication during leg lengthening: a case report

Background. Changes in the level of the patella position are a well-known complication of knee replacement, reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament, high tibial osteotomy and consequences of injuries. However, this problem has not been disclosed in the literature in relation to distraction osteogenesis using the Ilizarov method. The aim of the study is to describe such a rare iatrogenic complication as patella baja during limb lengthening by the Ilizarov method using a clinical case as an example. Case description. In 2017, a 17-year-old teenager was injured in a head-on collision of cars at high speed. The patient was diagnosed with an open fracture of the left femur and fibula and tibia of the left leg. He was treated in another clinic using the Ilizarov apparatus for osteosynthesis of the femur, tibia and proximal osteotomy of the tibia to move the bone to fill the distal bone defect. At the end of the treatment, the patient had a moderate limitation of the knee flexion (180-80°). In 2018, the patient was admitted to our clinic due to osteomyelitis at the level of the consolidated fracture. A new resection of the osteomyelitis lesion and proximal osteotomy for bifocal osteogenesis were performed. During the treatment, limitation of knee flexion (180-120°) was developed and radiographic signs of low position of the patella were obtained. Given the progression of patella baja (the Caton-Deschamps index = 0.51), we were forced to return the patient to the operating room to restore the correct height of the patella. Conclusions. The presented clinical case emphasizes the need for a more thorough assessment of the patella height after surgical treatment on the proximal tibia using the Ilizarov method. It is also noted that it is important to conduct a control MRI, which allows for a more detailed study of the initial position of the anterior tibial tubercle. In our case, early detection of complications allowed us to achieve complete recovery without any consequences.

Complex trauma sequelae: Mycobacterium goodii and Priestia endophytica Hardware infection in a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

A 26-year-old man with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, recurrent otitis externa, and chronic otitis media sustained a left lower extremity amputation and open femur fracture with internal hardware fixation after a motor vehicle collision in Arizona. He presented to the emergency department at our institution with severe left leg pain and purulent discharge despite receiving two unidentified antibiotics upon discharge. Evaluations revealed an abscess and malunion of the femur. Initial cultures yielded scant Priestia endophytica, leading to daptomycin treatment. His condition worsened until Gram-positive bacilli identified as Mycobacterium goodii, a rare nosocomial mycobacterial species, were found. Significant improvement occurred with appropriate antibiotics. This case highlights the challenges in diagnosing and managing M. goodii infections in immunocompromised patients with orthopedic complications and notes P. endophytica as a previously unreported, possibly opportunistic human pathogen.

Antibiotics Within One Hour for Pediatric Open Lower Extremity Fractures May Not be Warranted as a Quality Metric.

Open fractures have been associated with a higher risk of infection if antibiotics are not administered within 1h of presentation in adult trauma patients. Time to antibiotic administration for open fractures is frequently used as a quality metric for trauma centers, but there have been no large studies evaluating this topic for pediatric patients. The 2019 Trauma Quality Improvement Program dataset was queried for patients ≤ 16 years old with isolated open femur or tibia fractures undergoing operative intervention after blunt trauma. Patients transferred from another hospital were excluded. Pediatric patients receiving early antibiotics (EA) within 1h were compared to patients receiving delayed antibiotics (DA) greater than or equal to 1h from arrival. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate risk of surgical site infection (SSI). There were 150 patients with open lower extremity fractures: 98 (64.9%) EA vs 52 (34.4%) DA. There was no difference in the rate of SSI between the 2 groups (EA: 1.0% vs DA: 1.9%, P = 0.65). There remained similar associated risk of infection after adjusting for lower extremity abbreviated injury scale >3, blood transfusion requirement, and vital signs on arrival (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.04-10.24, P = 0.74). Most pediatric trauma patients with open lower extremity fracture received antibiotics within 1h of presentation. However, SSI was rare and the risk of SSI was not associated with antibiotic administration within 1h. Therefore, timing of antibiotic administration for pediatric open lower extremity fractures should be re-evaluated as a quality metric.Level of Evidence: Level III.

Evaluation of The Treatment of Open Intercondylar Fracture Distal Femur by Transosseous Osteosynthesis Technique with Ilizarov External Fixator

Objectives: Treatment of Distal femoral fractures cannot be done following simple set of rules and when it is an open fracture the treatment is more difficult. Several methods were studied by different authors both at home and abroad, but none were conclusive. Methods: This prospective study was done between January 2011 to December 2012, 15 patients of the open intercondylar fractures of Distal femur were treated by transosseous osteosynthesis technique by Ilizarov External Fixator in NITOR (National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic rehabilitation), Dhaka. 2 of the patients were not available for final follow up after removal of the fixator frame. So ultimately the final result based on the results of 13 Cases. Minimum 6 months follow up was done from the date of injury. No patient below age 16, no type IIIB or IIIC fractures and no patients having less than 6 months follow up were included in the study. Patients with severe injuries (Head injury, Abdomen and chest injury) were excluded from the study. Patients with medical illness such as Diabetes Mellitus, Peripheral Vascular diseases were not included in the study. Results: 12 male and 01 female patient between 16 and 56 years were studied. Most common age group in this series were 16-30 year age group (53.85%) and average age of the patients was 31.15 years. Most of the patients were male and road traffic accident was the leading cause of injury (92.31%). Right side involved in (69.23%) most of the cases. All patients were C3 type of fractures and G-II and G-IIIA types were same (38.46%). Most of the patients (53.85%) were operated within 1-2 weeks of admission. Average duration of hospital stay was 22 days ranging from 10 day to 45 days. Most of the patient had soft tissue healing by granulation tissue formation. Others were treated by primary closure, Delayed primary closure or secondary closure. Various complications were observed among them pintract infection, wire breakage, wire loosening, stiffness of joints, angulations and rotations, deep infection of the tissue, leg length discrepancy was observed in this study. According to the criteria of Neer et al, 1967 final results of the treatment were analyzed. Acceptable result was found in 61.54% of cases (Excellent 7.69% and good 53.85%). Results of the rest of 38.46% cases were not acceptable (Fair 23.08% and poor 15.38%). The result is similar with others done for open fractures of distal femur by Ilizarov External Fixator or other methods of fixation. Conclusion: So it can be concluded that transosseous osteosynthesis technique is a satisfactory method for treating open intercondylar fracture of distal femur as a primary and definite mode of treatment.

Unplanned reoperation is common following intramedullary nailing of open femoral shaft fractures: A retrospective review

BackgroundThe objective of this study is to investigate the incidence of unplanned reoperation, nonunion and infection following open femoral shaft fractures treated with an intramedullary nail and correlate these occurrences with patient variables and injury characteristics. MethodsA retrospective review of open femur fractures from a level 1 trauma center between 2012 and 2020 was performed. Ninety-five patients who sustained an open femur fracture, were treated definitively with an intramedullary nail, and had at least 3 months of follow-up were included in the analysis for surgical site infection. Seventy-three of these patients had at least one year of follow-up. After excluding planned bone grafting for segmental defects, 67 patients were included in the analysis of unplanned reoperation. ResultsThe rate of unplanned reoperation was 31.3 %, with 57 % of these operations occurring to address nonunion. The overall nonunion rate was 18 %. In patients who did not require reoperation to obtain union, the median time to union for the cohort was 6 months, with an interquartile range of 3–7.5 months. Post-operative surgical site infection occurred in 11.6 % of patients. ConclusionsIn conclusion, unplanned reoperation following intramedullary nailing of open femur fractures occurs in nearly 1/3rd of patients and the rates of nonunion and surgical site infection may be higher than previously reported in the literature. Reoperation most closely correlates with the OTA Open Fracture Classification System. Patients with open femur fractures should be counseled that reoperation is often required to obtain fracture union, with soft tissue and fracture injury severity predicting complications.

The linked nail/plate construct for the management of distal femur fractures in the elderly.

Distal femoral fractures represent a challenging injury, with many different factors such as the method of fixation, complexity of fracture pattern, and patient co-morbidities affecting the outcome. Lots of surgical treatment options have been described, but recently double construct fixation, using a nail/plate combination, has received lots of attention, a technique that leads to faster weight-bearing, low risk of metalwork failure, and non-union. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the linked nail/plate construct in the management of complex distal femur fractures and to investigate if the above technique leads to faster recovery and earlier radiographic union. In total 15 cases were included in the study, that underwent a combined nail/plate construct for a distal femur fracture between January 2021 and December 2022. Only cases with a linked nail/plate construct were included, with a minimum follow-up of 1 year. Open femur fractures, single implant fixation cases, and revision procedures were excluded. In this cohort study, 11 cases were periprosthetic distal femur features, and 4 cases were distal femur fractures around a native knee joint. The mean age group was 74 years, 86.6% of the patients had a BMI>25 and the mean time to fracture union was 24 weeks (range from 20 to 26 weeks). All cases healed uneventfully and the complication rate was 6.6%, including 1 case of superficial infection which resolved completely with oral antibiotics. The increasing age population, the complexity of distal femoral fractures along with the increasing physiological demands of the elderly population, drive the need for double fixation constructs that allow early mobilization and enhance fracture stability. In our study, the linked nail/plate construct seems to provide adequate stability and excellent union rates (100%) with no associated increased risk of complications.

Is Time Really of the Essence for Open Fracture Debridement?: Commentary on an article by Abigail Cortez, MD, et al.: "Delays in Debridement of Open Femoral and Tibial Fractures Increase Risk of Infection".

Is Time Really of the Essence for Open Fracture Debridement?: Commentary on an article by Abigail Cortez, MD, et al.: "Delays in Debridement of Open Femoral and Tibial Fractures Increase Risk of Infection".

Unbiased gene expression analysis of the delayed fracture healing observed in Zucker diabetic fatty rats.

Impaired fracture repair in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is not fully understood. In this study, we aimed to characterize the local changes in gene expression (GE) associated with diabetic fracture. We used an unbiased approach to compare GE in the fracture callus of Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats relative to wild-type (WT) littermates at three weeks following femoral osteotomy. Zucker rats, WT and homozygous for leptin receptor mutation (ZDF), were fed a moderately high-fat diet to induce T2DM only in the ZDF animals. At ten weeks of age, open femoral fractures were simulated using a unilateral osteotomy stabilized with an external fixator. At three weeks post-surgery, the fractured femur from each animal was retrieved for analysis. Callus formation and the extent of healing were assessed by radiograph and histology. Bone tissue was processed for total RNA extraction and messenger RNA (mRNA) sequencing (mRNA-Seq). Radiographs and histology demonstrated impaired fracture healing in ZDF rats with incomplete bony bridge formation and an influx of intramedullary inflammatory tissue. In comparison, near-complete bridging between cortices was observed in Sham WT animals. Of 13,160 genes, mRNA-Seq analysis identified 13 that were differentially expressed in ZDF rat callus, using a false discovery rate (FDR) threshold of 10%. Seven genes were upregulated with high confidence (FDR = 0.05) in ZDF fracture callus, most with known roles in inflammation. These findings suggest that elevated or prolonged inflammation contributes to delayed fracture healing in T2DM. The identified genes may be used as biomarkers to monitor and treat delayed fracture healing in diabetic patients.

Delays in Debridement of Open Femoral and Tibial Fractures Increase Risk of Infection.

Infection remains a costly, devastating complication following the treatment of open fractures. The appropriate timing of debridement is controversial, and available evidence has been conflicting. This study is a retrospective analysis of the SIGN (Surgical Implant Generation Network) Surgical Database (SSDB), a prospective registry of fracture cases in predominantly low-resource settings. Skeletally mature patients (≥16 years of age) who returned for follow-up at any time point after intramedullary nailing of an open femoral or tibial fracture were included. Patients were excluded if they had delays in debridement exceeding 7 days after the injury. Utilizing a model adjusting for potential confounders, including patient demographic characteristics, injury characteristics, country income level, and hospital type and resources, local logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the probability of infection with increasing time to debridement in 6-hour increments. In this study, 27.3% of patients met the eligibility criteria and returned for follow-up, with a total of 10,651 fractures from 61 countries included. Overall, the probability of infection increased by 0.17% for every 6-hour delay in debridement. On subgroup analysis, the probability of infection increased by 0.23% every 6 hours for Gustilo-Anderson type-III injuries compared with 0.13% for Gustilo-Anderson type-I or II injuries. The infection risk increased every 6 hours by 0.18% for tibial fractures compared with 0.13% for femoral fractures. There was a linear and cumulative increased risk of infection with delays in debridement for open femoral and tibial fractures. Such injuries should be debrided promptly and expeditiously. The size and international nature of this cohort make these findings uniquely generalizable to nearly all environments where such injuries are treated. Therapeutic Level III . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Treatment of Open Femur Fracture of the Gunshot Injuries by Interlocking Nail in Aden, Yemen

Background: Gunshot wounds remain a major clinical problem with bone injuries. Objective: To evaluate the treatment procedures of open fractures due to gunshot and the outcome Patients and methods: This was a prospective study conducted during January 2019 to December 2020. The enrolled patients were males having open fracture of femur due to gunshot or explosive shrapnel injuries and the data collected directly from patients by interview. The fractures were classified according to Gustilo classification. All patients underwent with stainless steel intramedullary nail with proximal and distal screws. Follow up of patients was for six months. Data were processed using the SPSS, version 22. Fisher test was used and p-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The study cases were 62 male patients. Age ranged between 17 to 50 years and the mean age was 25.7 ± 7.2 years. Gustilo open fracture type 3A seen in (98.4%) patients. Most of the site of femur fracture was at mid shaft (67.8%). Half of patients (53.3%) had time interval of first debridement within 7 – 12 hours, Predominantly debridement was performed once in (82.4%) patients. Mostly, delayed primary closure was carried out within 3 – 7 days in (71%) patients. IM nail was carried out mostly (56.6%) of cases within 7-14 days. We found superficial infection and acute osteomyelitis each one in (6.5%) patients. Pulmonary embolism found in (3.2%) patients. Deep wound infection, chronic osteomyelitis, deep vein thrombosis, each one was in (1.6%) patient. We found shortening in (1.6%) patient, mal-union in (1.6%) patient, non-union in (3.2%) patients and stiffness found in (3.2%) patients. Conclusion: Intramedullary nailing provide an effective device in patients with gunshot fractures of femur and it is safe and provides strong fixation, rotational stability and earliest return to functional status. Keywords: Open femur fracture, gunshot injuries, interlocking nail

Comparison Between Plating and Intramedullary Nailing in Treatment of open Femoral Shaft Fracture from 2014 to 2017

Comparison Between Plating and Intramedullary Nailing in Treatment of open Femoral Shaft Fracture from 2014 to 2017

Influence of Different Sevoflurane Concentrations on Postoperative Cognitive Function in Aged Rats.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction may be associated with neuroinflammation, and sevoflurane suppresses surgery-induced inflammation. We hypothesized that low concentrations of sevoflurane would result in more impaired postoperative cognitive function compared to high concentrations. Aged male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 21, 17-22 months) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: control (C), sevoflurane 2% (S2), and sevoflurane 4% (S4). Rats in the S2 and S4 groups underwent open femoral fracture and intramedullary fixation of the left hind limb under 2 hours of sevoflurane anesthesia. Neurological outcomes were evaluated using the Morris water maze (MWM) test, and histopathological outcomes were assessed 28 days after surgery. The S2 group showed prolonged swimming latency compared to S4 on day 7 (difference of means, 34.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.57-66.3; P = .031) and compared to the C group on day 9 (difference of means, -33.4; 95% CI, -65.3 to -1.55; P = .037). The intact CA1 cells in the S2 group were significantly less than those in the C and S4 groups (H statistic, 10.87; P = .006 versus C; P = .033 versus S4). We found that low concentrations of sevoflurane prolonged the swimming latency of the MWM compared to high concentrations and reduced intact CA1 hippocampal neurons in aged rats. These results suggest that low-concentration sevoflurane anesthesia may be more detrimental than high concentration for spatial cognitive function and postoperative impairment of hippocampal CA1 cells in aged rats.

Reconstruction of ametadiaphyseal bone defect after open comminuted fracture of the proximal femur using amodified Masquelet technique

The reconstruction of segmental bone defects after surgical treatment of infected delayed unions as well as nonunions, places the highest demands on the surgical technical implementation. After treating the fracture-related infection, guaranteeing biomechanical stability is crucial for the success of the treatment. The presented case describes the successful treatment of an infected delayed union after an open metadiaphyseal comminuted fracture of the proximal femur using amodified Masquelet technique. Asolid allogeneic bone graft in combination with autologous cancellous bone were inserted into a7 cm subtrochanteric defect zone and stabilized with acombined plate and nail osteosynthesis.

Antibiotic administration within 1 hour for open lower extremity fractures is not associated with decreased risk of infection.

Open fractures have a high risk of infection with limited data correlating timing of prophylactic antibiotic administration and rate of subsequent infection. The Trauma Quality Improvement Program has established a standard of antibiotic administration within 1 hour of arrival, but there is a lack of adequately powered studies validating this quality metric. We hypothesize that open femur and/or tibia fracture patients undergoing orthopedic surgery have a decreased risk of infectious complications (osteomyelitis, deep and superficial surgical site infection) if antibiotics are administered within 1 hour of presentation compared with administration after 1 hour. The 2019 Trauma Quality Improvement Program was queried for adults with isolated (Abbreviated Injury Scale <1 for the head/face/spine/chest/abdomen/upper extremity) open femur and/or tibia fractures undergoing orthopedic surgery. Transfer patients were excluded. Patients receiving early antibiotics (EA) within 1 hour were compared with patients receiving delayed antibiotics (DA) greater than 1 hour from arrival. Of 3,367 patients identified, 2,400 (70.4%) received EA. Patients receiving EA had a higher rate of infections compared with DA (1.1% vs. 0.2%, p = 0.011). After adjusting for age, comorbidities, injury severity, nerve/vascular trauma to the lower extremity, washout of the femur/tibia performed in <6 hours, blood transfusion, and admission vitals, patients in the EA group had a similar associated risk of surgical site infection/osteomyelitis compared with the DA cohort ( p = 0.087). These results remained in subset analyses of patients with only femur, only tibia, and combined femur/tibia open fractures (all p > 0.05). In this large national analysis, approximately 70% of isolated open femur or tibia fracture patients undergoing surgery received antibiotics within 1 hour. After adjusting for known risk factors of infection, there was no association between timing of antibiotic administration and infection. Reconsideration of the quality metric of antibiotic administration within 1 hour for open fractures appears warranted. Therapeutic/Care Management; Level IV.

115 Management of Femoral Non-Union with Post-Traumatic Bone Defect Using Second-Generation PRECICE® Nail - a Case Report

Abstract Introduction The management of post-traumatic bone defects with non-union remains a surgical challenge. Common limb length discrepancy (LLD) procedures involve Masquelet technique, vascularised bone grafts, distraction osteogenesis using external fixators, yet they pose a functional and economical challenge for patients, given high complication rates and need for revision surgery. Magnetically driven PRECICE nails are self-lengthening internal devices activated via an external controller. We present one patient with post-traumatic femoral non-union with concomitant bone defect, using second-generation PRECICE nail. Case Study One 57-year-old gentlemen suffered open femoral fracture after a motorcycle accident. Having previously undergone open reduction internal fixation, he presented to us with atrophic non-union and bone defect, which were simultaneously treated with a second-generation PRECICE nail. Our treatment protocol was based on the strain theory and involved initial distraction by ∼5mm at non-union site, at a rate of 1mm per day, to decrease strain on bone graft cells and promote callus formation. One week later, the non-union site was compressed to close the gap completely. After another four weeks, distraction using the PRECICE nail started, in increments of 0.25mm, four times a day, until the desired length was achieved. The patient achieved union and the initially planned limb lengthening regime was achieved with minimal complications. Conclusions By initially distracting the bone defect by ∼5mm, then compressing the gap, before distraction started, strain on bone graft cells was minimised, allowing robust callus and regenerate growth. Self-lengthening, magnetically driven PRECICE nails can successfully restore union and manage limb length discrepancies with reasonable patient satisfaction and minimal complications.

EP-490 Management of femoral non-union with post-traumatic bone defect using second-generation PRECICE® nail - A Case Report

Abstract Introduction The management of post-traumatic bone defects with non-union remains a surgical challenge. Common limb length discrepancy (LLD) procedures involve Masquelet technique, vascularised bone grafts, distraction osteogenesis using external fixators, yet they pose a functional and economical challenge for patients, given high complication rates and need for revision surgery. Magnetically-driven PRECICE nails are self-lengthening internal devices activated via an external controller. We present one patient with post-traumatic femoral non-union with concomitant bone defect, using second-generation PRECICE nail. Case One 57 year-old gentlemen suffered open femoral fracture after a motorcycle accident. Having previously undergone open reduction internal fixation, he presented to us with atrophic non-union and bone defect, which were simultaneously treated with a second-generation PRECICE nail. Our treatment protocol was based on the strain theory, and involved initial distraction by ∼5mm at non-union site, at a rate of 1mm per day, to decrease strain on bone graft cells and promote callus formation. One week later, the non-union site was compressed to close the gap completely. After another four weeks, distraction using the PRECICE nail started, in increments of 0.25mm, four times a day, until the desired length was achieved. The patient achieved union and the initially planned limb lengthening regime was achieved with minimal complications. Conclusions By initially distracting the bone defect by ∼5mm, then compressing the gap, before distraction started, strain on bone graft cells was minimised, allowing robust callus and regenerate growth. Self-lengthening, magnetically-driven PRECICE nails can successfully restore union and manage limb length discrepancies with reasonable patient satisfaction and minimal complications.

Civilian Ballistic Femoral Shaft Fractures Compared With Blunt Femur Shaft Fractures.

To assess ballistic femoral shaft fracture outcomes in comparison with closed and open femoral shaft fractures sustained by blunt mechanisms. We hypothesized that ballistic femoral shaft fractures would have similar outcomes to blunt open fractures. Retrospective cohort study. Academic Level I trauma center. Patients 16 years and older presenting with ballistic (140), blunt closed (317), or blunt open (71) femoral shaft fractures. Unplanned return to operating room, fracture-related infection, soft tissue reconstruction, nonunion, implant failure, length of stay, Injury Severity Scores, hospital charges, and compartment syndrome. A total of 528 femoral shaft fractures were identified. A group of 140 ballistic fractures and comparison groups of all femoral shaft fractures sustained by blunt mechanisms and treated with intramedullary nailing were included in the analysis. Among the 2 subgroups of nonballistic injuries, 317 were blunt closed fractures and 71 were blunt open fractures. The ballistic group was associated with a 3-fold increase in overall complications (30%) compared with the blunt closed group (10%, P < 0.001), had a higher occurrence of thigh compartment syndrome (P < 0.001), and required more soft tissue reconstruction (P < 0.001) than either of the blunt fracture groups. Ballistic femoral shaft fractures do not perfectly fit with blunt closed or open femoral fractures. A high index of suspicion for the development of thigh compartment syndrome should be maintained in ballistic femoral shaft fractures. The overall rates of nonunion and infection were comparable between all groups, but the all-cause complication rate was significantly higher in the ballistic group compared with the blunt closed group. Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Treatment of Open Femoral Fracture with Bone Loss: Review Article

Treatment of Open Femoral Fracture with Bone Loss: Review Article

Clinical observation of staged surgical treatment of a patient with a multisplintered intra-articular fracture of the distal femur

The article presents a clinical case of a staged surgical treatment of a 43-year-old patient with an open intra-articular multi-splintered fracture of the distal femur (33, type C 3.3), complicated by a 5 cm defect of the diaphysial portion of the bone. The injury was gotten in an accident. Primary medical care was provided in Central Distict Hospital (CDH), in the form of primary surgical treatment of an open fracture and skeletal traction. After 3 weeks, the patient was transferred to a level 1 trauma center. There he underwent step-by-step operations using a distal femoral interlock plate and minimally invasive technique for primary osteosynthesis. Subsequently, during the next year, 2 more reconstructive operations were performed with simultaneous elongation of the femur, on a previously installed plate. The result is a complete anatomical and functional restoration of the knee joint and limb supportability.

Protective effect of Du-Zhong-Wan against osteoporotic fracture by targeting the osteoblastogenesis and angiogenesis couple factor SLIT3

Ethnopharmacological relevanceDu-Zhong-Wan (DZW) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) composed of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. and Dipsacus asper Wall. ex C.B. Clarke in the ratio 1:1. Based on the TCM theory, DZW nourishes the kidney to strengthen the bones. The literature research revealed that DZW possesses anti-fatigue, anti-depressant, and anti-osteoporotic properties. However, the action and mechanism of DZW on osteoporotic fracture remains slightly unclear. Aim of the studyTo evaluate the pharmacological effect of DZW on ovariectomized mice with an open femoral fracture and reveal the underlying mechanism. Materials and methodsWe conducted ovariectomy for 5 weeks, followed by unilateral open transverse femoral fracture for another 3 weeks in C57BL/6 mice; during this process, DZW was administrated. The femur bone and vertebra tissues were collected and analyzed by micro-computed tomography, histomorphometry, mechanical strength testing, immunohistochemistry staining, and qRT-PCR analyses. In addition, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Alizarin red S (ARS) staining were performed to determine the extent of osteoblastogenesis from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Western blotting was performed to examine the protein expression. ResultsDZW treatment significantly improved the bone histomorphometric parameters in mice undergoing ovariectomy when combined with the femoral fracture, including an increase in the bone volume, trabecular number, and bone formation rate and a decrease in the bone erosion area. Simultaneously, DZW treatment histologically promoted fractured callus formation. Mechanical strength testing revealed significantly higher stiffness and an ultimate load after treatment with DZW. The angiogenesis of H-type vessels was enhanced by DZW, as evidenced by increased levels of CD31 and endomucin (EMCN), the H-type vessel endothelium markers, at the fractured endosteum and metaphysis regions. Relative to the osteoporotic fracture mice, the DZW treatment group showed an increased proangiogenic factor SLIT3 level. The increased level of SLIT3 was also recorded during the process of DZW-stimulated osteoblastogenesis from BMSCs. ConclusionsFor the first time, we demonstrated that DZW promoted osteoporotic fracture healing by enhancing osteoblastogenesis and angiogenesis of the H-type vessels. This enhanced combination of osteoblastogenesis and angiogenesis was possibly related to the production of proangiogenic factor SLIT3 induced by DZW.