Effect of gamma rays on the bone repair process in rats with estrogen deficiency

This study aimed at evaluating the bone repair process in ovariectomized rats submitted to an irradiation procedure. For this purpose, one hundred rats were randomly divided in four experimental groups: control, ovariectomized, irradiated and irradiated/ovariectomized. A bone defect was made on all animals' tibias. Three days after surgery, only irradiated and irradiated/ovariectomized rats received 8 Gy of gamma rays on the lower limbs region. The animals were sacrificed 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after surgery in order to assess the repair process. It was possible to observe a delay in the bone repair process in the irradiated/ovariectomized group, in which there was a remarkable association between estrogen deficiency and ionizing radiation resulting in the reduction of newly formed bone production, thus accelerating the resorption process.