Radiological, histopathological and biomechanical evaluation of selenium effects on fracture healing in experimental diabetes in rats

Bone fractures are common injuries that we encounter at clinics and 10 % of these injuries require surgery. Addition to a long time experience about fracture treatment methods (casting, traction), fracture healing biology, biologic factors and matrix components on fracture healing are searched, and to shorten the time of healing and to increase the rates of healing, some innovations are appared. On the other side there are lots of factors that affect fracture healing. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic and sistemic disease known as unfavourable on fracture healing. The purpose of this study is to show the positive effects of the selenium to the fracture healing at the diyabetic environment.After ethic council approval for the experimental study left tibias of 250 ? 300 gr weight, 3 months old 36 Wistar rats was taken to our study. Animals were divided into three groups; first one was control (group 1), second was diabetic (diyabetic group ? group 2) and the third was diyabetic rats which was treated by selenium (diabetes + selenium group ? group 3). 60 mg/kg STZ injected intraperitoneally per rat at group 2 and group 3. Rats with blood glucose levels above 250 mg/dl accepted diyabetic and used in the study. One week later we performed osteotomy to the left tibiae of the rats at all groups and fixed by intramedullary kirshner wire method. 10mg/kg/day sodium selenite was administered intraperitoneally for 6 weeks.Radiographs of the left tibiae at all groups were obtained were at 0. day, 3. and 6. weeks. At the end of the 6. week left tibiae of sacrificied rats were excised and soft tissues were removed. Biomechanical analysis was performed to the half of the rats from each group and the other half were examined histopathologically. Chi-Square , Cramer?s V and ANOVA tests were used to evaluate the results.Statistical results showed that, radiological healing in diyabetic group (group 2) was worse than the other groups at the end of 3. and 6. weeks. In all three groups, radiological healing results were better at 6. week then 3. week. At the end of the 6. week according to the histopathological results there was a statistically significant difference between three groups. The control group had the best results. According to statistical results of healing, group 3 (diabetes + selenium) was significantly better then group 2 (only diabetes). According to the biomechanical tests, diyabetes group had the worst result but there was no statistically significant difference between control and selenium groups.In this study we exhibit that selenium enhances fracture healing at diyabetic environment and reduce the effects of diabetes mellitus on bone and its healing biology. In conclusion our study can light the way for the other studies about clinical usage of selenium.