Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine whether the assessment BsALP as a biochemical parameter in the early posttraumatic phase may indicate the course of fracture healing. The methods used for monitoring the bone healing process have been based on the patient’s subjective evaluation and radiographic findings. The activity of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase was measured in the sera of 41 patients who had sustained fractures of long bones. All the patients had been treated surgically. The activity of BsALP was assessed every seven days over a four-week period. The same patients were subject to radiology follow-ups for several months. Our research showed that the increase of alkaline phosphatase correlated with an increase of BsALP levels. The volume of callus correlated with a decrease, no change or an increase in the level of ALP and BsALP in the same way. It can be concluded that the monitoring of changes in the biochemical parameters of alkaline phosphatase and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase allows the early detection of the fracture healing dynamics.
Correspondence should be addressed to: EFORT Central Office, Technoparkstrasse 1, CH – 8005 Zürich, Switzerland. Email: office@efort.org