Title
Arachidonic acid, eicosanoids, and fracture repair
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Orthopedics and Physical Rehabilitation; Department of Cell Biology
Date
8-26-2010
Document Type
Article
Medical Subject Headings
Animals; Arachidonic Acid; Cartilage, Articular; Chondrogenesis; Eicosanoids; Fracture Healing; Fractures, Bone; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammation Mediators; Leukotriene Antagonists; Leukotrienes
Disciplines
Orthopedics | Rehabilitation and Therapy
Abstract
Not all fractures heal well or rapidly in the adult skeleton, and basic scientists and clinicians continue to search for ways to make fractures heal more predictably. It is a fundamental tenet of orthopaedics that skeletal injury is followed by inflammation and that this inflammatory response is the first stage in a sequence of events that culminate in skeletal repair. Modulating this response can affect the inflammatory stage and in turn subsequent stages that are required for healing. Literally dozens of studies in animals dating back to the 1970s have investigated the effects of commonly used anti-inflammatory medications on prostaglandin synthesis and fracture repair with strikingly uniform results. More recently, investigators have begun examining other means of modulating the early inflammatory stages after fracture in an effort to enhance fracture healing. This article reviews recent investigations into the potential role of leukotrienes as negative regulators of fracture healing and potential pharmacologic use of medications that block this effect.
Rights and Permissions
Citation: J Orthop Trauma. 2010 Sep;24(9):539-42. Link to article on publisher's site