Effects of zinc and aprotinin on the healing of ulnar diaphyseal fractures in rabbits

The effects of zinc and aprotinin on fracture healing in experimentally induced fractures were investigated by means of histometric analyses and alkaline phosphatase histochemistry. Healthy 54 adult New Zealand White female rabbits were separated into three groups as control, zinc, and aprotinin treatment. The control animals did not receive any medicament; zinc sulphate was given orally to the rabbits in the Zn group for 15 days. Aprotinin was postoperatively infiltrated into the fracture area at the 3rd and 24th h following operation. Immobilization of fracture ends of all groups was similar throughout the experiment. The zinc administered group displayed the highest alkaline phosphatase positive cell level through the experiment. By day 30 after the operation, fibrocartilage and osseous tissues reached the highest levels in the zinc treated group. Based on the observation of augmented osseous tissue formation and increased alkaline phosphatase positive osteoblastic cell activity in the callus, it was conluded that Zn sulphate is a potent stimulator of bone formation by increasing mineralization in the fractured bone segments.