A Novel Rat Model of Intramedullary Tibia Fracture Fixation Using Polyetheretherketone Threaded Rod
Zhe Jin1, Yu Sun1, Yuheng Guan1
1Department of Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China; and Department of Radiological Diagnosis and Interventional Treatment, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
Background:
The rat fracture fixation models have been widely adopted, but current implant designs suffer from operational difficulty, massive soft-tissue dissection, and radiological intervention. The authors developed a new tibia fracture-healing model using minor invasive intramedullary fixations with polyetheretherketone (PEEK) threaded rods, which have excellent x-ray translucency and no magnetic resonance artifact.
Methods:
Tibia fractures of 6 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were fixed with intramedullary PEEK threaded rods. X-ray examination was performed at 0, 4, and 8 weeks postoperatively. Histological analysis was conducted via hematoxylin-eosin staining of nondecalcified tissue sections.
Results:
Radiological fracture healing was observed at 8 weeks postoperatively. Histology demonstrated fracture gap bridging and bone ingrowth adjacent to PEEK.
Conclusion:
This innovative model is simple and effective, providing a new selection in future biomedical research.
