Animal studies on the effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on bone healing: five randomised controlled trials using rats
| Reference | Year | Population | Intervention | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The quality of all the studies was level A. | ||||
| Allen et al16 | 1980 | 210 male rats with fractured radius and ulna | Indomethacin (1–4 mg/kg/day), aspirin (100–300 mg/kg/day) and control groups | Retardation of fracture healing with all doses of indomethacin studied and high dose aspirin |
| Altman et al17 | 1995 | Rats with femoral fractures | Indomethacin (1 mg/kg/day), ibuprofen (30 mg/kg/day) and control groups | Inhibition of fracture repair characterised by delayed maturation of the callus; found to be reversible after cessation of indomethacin, but not ibuprofen |
| Elves et al18 | 1982 | 83 rats of various ages with surgically created vertebral fractures | Indomethacin (4 mg/kg/day) and control group | Delay and impairment of bone repair in mature rats only; reversed on cessation |
| Hogevold et al19 | 1992 | 72 male rats with mid-shaft femoral fractures. Involving a complete-osteotomy and a partial-osteotomy group | NaCl group, indomethacin group (2 mg/kg/day), steroid group (methylprednisolone 2 mg/kg) and control group | Indomethacin inhibited fracture healing; this effect was less in the partial osteotomy group than in the complete osteotomy group |
| Sudmann et al22 | 1982 | 48 adolescent male rats with femoral shaft fractures | Indomethacin (2 mg/kg/day) and control groups. | No effect on the ordered bone growth and remodelling |