Introduction and purpose: Vitamin C is essential to the synthesis of the bone’s organic matrix and a subclinical vitamin shortage has been observed in the elderly population of developed countries. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the intake of vitamin C supplements by the elderly after sustaining a fracture improves healing.

Materials and methods: 40 1-year-old ODS rats were subjected to a usual dose of 1 gr/l of vitamin c in water for 2 weeks. Another 40 were placed on a 0.5 gr/l diet (subclinical deficit). A closed femur fracture was provoked. After the fracture, the rats were divided into two groups: the first was kept on the same diet and for the other the diet was supplemented by multiplying the vitamin C dose by two. After 5 weeks, a mechanical (torque) test was performed on the femur, and the vitamin C serum level was determined.

Results: Mechanical resistance to callus was significantly higher in the supplemented groups vis-à-vis the non-supplemented ones (p≤0.05). It was also higher in the groups with no previous deficit vis-à-vis those which had a previous deficit (p≤0.05). There was a linear correlation (p≤0.05, R=0.52) between the vitamin C levels at the time of being put down and the mechanical resistance to callus.

Conclusions and clinical relevance: In old rats, consolidation depends on the amount of vitamin C ingested during fracture consolidation. If these results were similar in elderly humans, the addition of vitamin C supplements to the diet should be indicated during consolidation.