The effects of melatonin and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on fracture healing under ischemic conditions
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 28, 2026
Real-Time Imaging of CCL5-Induced Migration of Periosteal Skeletal Stem Cells in Mice
Published on: September 16, 2020
Mehmet Erdem1, Deniz Gülabi2, Murat Aşçı3
1Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Sakarya University, Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya, Turkey.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of antioxidant molecules melatonin and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on fracture healing under ischemic conditions.
Methods:
A right tibia fracture was created and fixed with an intramedullary pin in forty four male Wistar-albino rats. The rats were then randomly allocated to fracture, fracture-ischemia, fracture- ischemia-melatonin, and fracture-ischemia-CAPE groups. Ischemia was created by clamping femoral arteries four and a half hours. Animals were killed and radiographic, histological and biomechanical evaluation was performed sixth week after surgery.
Results:
The radiological and histological scores of the fracture-ischemia-CAPE group were significantly better than the fracture- ischemia group at 6th week follow-up. Complete radiographical and histological healing of all fractures was detected in all groups. There was a significant difference between the maximum fracture force between the groups (fracture-ischemia
Conclusion:
Ischemia adversely affects the fracture healing of rat tibias. Melatonin and CAPE eradicate adverse effects of ischemia. Possible adverse effects of ischemia on fracture healing can be eradicated with melatonin and CAPE in patients with tibia fractures associated with vascular injury or compartment syndrome.
