Bone Abstracts

Mast cells (MCs) are pro-inflammatory sensor and effector cells of the immune system. MCs seem to play a role in bone metabolism, because patients with systemic mastocytosis develop osteoporosis. MCs are present in the fracture callus during bone healing, however, their function has not yet been investigated. Here, we examined the role of MCs in the inflammatory and repair phase during fracture healing.Male 12-week old MC deficient mice (Mcpt5-Cre R-DTA)...

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays an important role in bone metabolism and regulates fracture healing in a presently unknown process. In the fracture callus IL-6 expression is biphasic; it peaks during the inflammatory phase and again during intramembranous and endochondral ossification (Ai-Aql et al. 2008). Few studies using IL-6 knockout mice indicate that IL-6 might be crucial for bone healing (Yang et al. 2007). However, a generalized IL-6 knockout induces multi...

Chronic calcium- and vitamin-D-deficiencies are crucial risk factors for osteoporosis. However, their significance for fracture healing is still poorly investigated, despite the clinical evidence that osteoporotic bone healing is disturbed. This study addressed the important question, whether chronic deprivation of calcium and vitamin D compromises bone repair and if this could be rescued by a supplementation post-trauma. Because clinical hints suggest that a fracture induces ...