OBJECTIVE: To determine the presence of a favorable sodium ibandronate effect in bone healing, thus contributing for future studies of its clinical use in the treatment of fractures and pseudoarthroses. METHODS: 20 New Zealand white rabbits were submitted to transverse mid-diaphysis osteotomy of the right fibula and divided at random into two groups of 10 animals each. Animals in group I were given 2 ml of a solution containing sodium ibandronate and distilled water; animals in group II were given distilled water alone (control group). The rabbits were sacrificed after 30 days. Bone calluses found at the osteotomy site were evaluated by densitometry and histomorphometry. Statistical analysis of the results was made with the "t" test to make inferences about the mean differences of the parametric samples, and the Mann-Whitney for non-parametric samples. The significance level adopted was 5%. RESULTS: The relative amount of bone was greater and the relative amount of fibrosis was lesser in bone calluses formed in the group that was given sodium ibandronate than in the control group. There was no difference in the relative amount of cartilage and in mineral density of bone calluses between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In this experiment, the administration of sodium ibandronate favored the healing of fibula osteotomy in rabbits, as it increased the relative amount of bone in calluses formed and decreased the amount of fibrosis.
Fractures, bone; Fracture healing; Osteogenesis; Calcification, physiologic; Bony callus; Osteotomy; Fibula; Bisphosphonates; Rabbits
