Contrary to current thinking, the presence of fibrin - a protein involved in blood clotting - is not required for bone healing. In fact, it is the breakdown of the protein that is essential for fracture repair.
bone repair image
Bone healing requires removal of fibrin (fibrinolysis) so that blood vessels can grow, reach out and reconnect.
Image credit: J. Schoenecker/Vanderbilt UMC

This was the surprising conclusion of a new study led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, that may cause textbooks on bone fracture healing to be rewritten.

The team expects the findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, will prompt a rethink on how fractures heal and change the way doctors go about promoting fracture repair.

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