Effects of axial dynamization on bone healing.

The effects of early dynamization (physiologic axial compression) on canine fracture healing at six weeks were studied. Bilateral transverse mid-tibial osteotomies were created and initially stabilized with a 2-mm gap using relatively rigid external fixators. Seven days after osteotomy, the telescoping mechanism of one of the fixators on each dog was released (dynamized), resulting in physiologic loading of the osteotomy, while the contralateral fixator remained locked as a rigid control. The dynamized osteotomy closed, and increased functional weight bearing resulted from 3 weeks on. Radiographically the amount of periosteal callus increased over time, but no difference in callus size was seen between the dynamized fractures and the controls. Torsional mechanical testing found the dynamized osteotomies to be significantly stiffer, and they tended to tolerate more maximum torque than the controls. Microscopic evaluation found no difference in the volume of the periosteal and endosteal calluses or in the tissues constituting them. However, a significantly greater proportion of the dynamized osteotomy gap was filled with new bone. These results suggest that dynamization in this delayed union model improved fracture healing by reducing fracture gap size and increasing weight bearing, not by altering the pathway of fracture healing.