Delayed or impaired bone healing occurs in 5-10% of all fractures, yet cost effective solutions to enhance the healing process are limited. Lithium, a current treatment for bipolar disorder, is not clinically indicated for use in fracture management, but has been reported to positively influence bone biology. The objective of this study was to identify lithium administration parameters that maximize bone healing in a preclinical, rodent femur fracture model. Using a three factor, two level, design of experiments (DOE) approach, bone healing was assessed through mechanical testing and μCT-image analysis. Significant improvements in healing were found at a low dose, later onset, longer duration treatment combination, with onset identified as the most influential parameter. The positive results from this DOE screening focuses the optimization phase towards further investigation of the onset component of treatment, and forms a crucial foundation for future studies evaluating the role of lithium in fracture healing.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/42696 |
| Date | 21 November 2013 |
| Creators | Bernick, Joshua Hart |
| Contributors | Whyne, Cari, Nam, Diane |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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