Effect of Vitamin D₂ and Fluoride on Experimental Bone Fracture Healing in Rats

¹ Department of Dental Surgery; Laboratory of Oral Chemistry and Fluoride Research; Diagnostic X-Ray Department of the Hadassah Hospital; Department of Isotopes, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Weizman Institute, Rehovoth, Israel

The healing process in experimentally fractured bones of mature rats given vitamin D₂ or fluoride, or both, was studied over a period of 30 days.

To investigate the mineralization rate of the fractures, the percentages of ash and its content in calcium, phosphorus, and fluoride were determined in the region of the healing fracture. Serum calcium and alkaline phosphatase determinations were also performed.

Administration of vitamin D₂ accelerated the initial mineralization, as evidenced by an increase in the ash content and calcium percentage in the healing fracture region and by a rise in serum alkaline phosphatase. Administration of fluoride (50 ppm or 75 ppm) in the drinking water did not affect the mineralization rate.

Simultaneous treatment with vitamin D₂ and drinking water containing 50 ppm fluoride accelerated the mineralization rate during the whole experimental period. Simultaneous treatment with vitamin D₂ and drinking water containing 75 ppm fluoride did not affect the mineralization rate.

A synergistic healing effect of vitamin D₂ and doses of fluoride (50 ppm) was observed.