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Fractures mend faster with bone-building cells
12 Feb 2009 00:01:12 GMT
 Source: Reuters
HONG KONG, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Fractures appear to mend faster after bone-building cells cultured from a patient's own bone marrow are injected into the wound, a South Korean study has found.

In an article published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, the scientists said no complications arose from the treatment and recommended that the bone-building cells, or osteoblasts, be used in fractures involving long bones.

Osteoblasts are cells that assist in bone formation.

Sixty-four patients participated in the study between May 2006 and January 2008. Of these, 31 received the treatment and 33 were left to heal normally in the control group.

"There was significantly more bone growth in the experimental group, compared to the control group ... cultured osteoblast transplant is a safe and effective method for accelerating the rate of fracture healing," said Seok-Jung Kim from the Catholic University College of Medicine in Seoul.

Kim said the treatment may help prevent delays in bone union.

"While fractures generally will eventually heal, bone union can frequently be delayed to the extent that it requires bone transplantation. Not only does this cause psychological and physical pain to the individual patient, it's also not economically viable," he said.

"Although bone transplant remains the most effective method of bone union, osteoblast injections provide an alternative which can be performed under local anesthesia with no requirement for surgery." (Reporting by Tan Ee Lyn; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)


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