Bone Abstracts

The objective of the study was to investigate whether the anti-resorptive and bone-forming dual effect of Strontium Ranelate (SrR) influences the healing of a non-critical sized femoral mid-shaft bone defect.

Sixty 16-weeks-old female Wistar rats were randomized into four groups. Cylindrical defects with a diameter of 2 mm was drilled through the anterior cortex of both right and left femoral mid-shafts. Two groups were treated with SrR (900 mg/kg/day) mixed into the food and the remaining two groups served as control. The animals were killed 3 and 8 weeks after the surgical procedure, respectively. The healing of the bone defects were analyzed using µCT and three-point bending test. All procedures were approved by The Danish Animal Inspectorate.

Treatment with SrR did not affect the BV/TV of the newly formed bone in the defect or the bone formed in the medullary cavity. The bone material density was significant (P<0.001) higher for both the newly formed bone in the defect and the bone formed in the medullary cavity after 3 and 8 weeks of SrR treatment compared with the respective control groups. Mechanical fracture strength and stiffness were not altered by SrR.

The present study showed that SrR did not influence the healing of a non-critical sized femoral mid-shaft bone defect in rats. The higher bone material density values in the defects of the SrR treated animals are most likely due to strontium being radiological heavier than calcium.