Study on Fracture Healing with Small-Splint-Fixation Therapy by Near-Infrared Raman Spectroscopy

In this study, near-infrared (NIR) Raman spectroscopy was explored to assess the incorporation of calcium hydroxyapatite (CHA ~960 cm−1) and other biochemical substances during the recovery of rabbits with complete radial fractures treated with or without small splints. 24 rabbits were randomy divided into two groups, one treated with small-splint-fixation therapy and the other without any intervention. The rabbits were sacrificed at 7, 15, 23, and 30 days after surgery, and the surface layers of the calluses in the fracture healing site from control and treated groups were routinely prepared for Raman spectroscopy. The prominent Raman bands were observed, including minerals at 430, 590, 960, 1003, and 1071  cm−1, protein at 856, 876, 1246, and 1667 cm−1, and lipid at 1767 cm−1. The carbonate-to-phosphate ratio (CO3 to υ1 PO4) and the mineral-to-matrix ratio (υ1 PO4 to amide I) were calculated from these normalized Raman bands. Comparison of the υ1 PO4-to-amide I ratio for the control group with that of the treated group probably indicated that the small-splint-fixation therapy could be useful for the gradual mineralization of the collagen matrix during fracture healing