Fracture Healing and Bone Mass in Rats Fed on Liquid Diet Containing Ethanol

  1. Nurzat Elmali*,
  2. Kadir Ertem,
  3. Süleyman Ozen,
  4. Muharrem Inan,
  5. Tamer Baysal,
  6. Güntekin Güner,
  7. Arslan Bora

Article first published online: 11 APR 2006

DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2002.tb02568.x

Issue

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research

Volume 26, Issue 4, pages 509–513, April 2002

Additional Information

How to Cite

Elmali, N., Ertem, K., Ozen, S., Inan, M., Baysal, T., Güner, G. and Bora, A. (2002), Fracture Healing and Bone Mass in Rats Fed on Liquid Diet Containing Ethanol. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 26: 509–513. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2002.tb02568.x

Author Information

  1. Departments of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (NE, KE, MI, GG, AB) and Radiology (TB), Inönü University Medical School, Malatya, Turkey; and Department of Pathology, Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey (SO).

*Nurzat Elmali, Turgut Ozal Medical Center Orthopaedics and Traumatology Department, 44300 Malatya, Turkey; Fax: 90-422-3410610; E-mail: nelmali@hotmail.com

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 11 APR 2006
  2. Article first published online: 11 APR 2006
  3. Received for publication August 14, 2001; accepted January 9, 2002.

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Keywords:

  • Ethanol;
  • Fracture Healing;
  • Bone Mineral Density;
  • Bone Mineral Content;
  • Rat

Background: Studies in animal models for alcohol abuse have suggested that ethanol inhibits bone growth, decreases bone formation, and increases fracture risk.

Methods: Experimental tibia fracture healing in rats fed a liquid diet containing 7.2% ethanol for 8 weeks was investigated with histological and osteodensitometric studies with respect to the control group. After 4 weeks of vitamin A– and sucrose-enriched milk containing 7.2% ethanol feeding, we created closed tibia fractures, which were then fixed with intramedullary nails, in 10 rats. After a follow-up time of 4 weeks, the rats were killed for examination. The same procedure was performed in another 10 rats, which were fed on the same diet (isocaloric modified liquid diet) but without ethanol and used as the control group. A histological scoring system was developed for fracture healing.

Results: Histological evaluation of fracture region revealed an average fracture healing score of 1.9 in the ethanol-fed group versus 2.6 in the control group (p= 0.014). In the test group, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry measurements in the fracture region showed a mean bone mineral density of 0.11 ± 0.03 g/cm2, whereas it was 0.130 ± 0.051 g/cm2 in the control group (p= 0.000). The mean bone mineral content in the fracture region was 0.103 ± 0.08 g/cm3 in the test group versus 0.128 ± 0.06 g/cm3 in the control group (p= 0.000). A significant correlation was found among histological scores, bone mineral density (r= 0.64, p= 0.04), and bone mineral content (r= 0.63, p= 0.04).

Conclusions: This study showed that rats fed on a diet mixed with ethanol have a histologically delayed fracture healing associated with decreased bone density and mineral content. Besides the negative effects of ethanol on bone metabolism, it also interferes with the fracture-healing process.

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