EFFECT OF MORPHINE DEPENDENCY ON BONE REPAIR PROCESS IN THE CORTICAL BONE OF TIBIA IN RATS

Abstract

Several environmental factors have been found 10 affect the process of bone healing including malnutrition and smoking. To our knowledge. the effect or addiction on bone repair process has not been studied yet. This study was designed to investigate the effects or morphine dependency on bone repair process in rats. Filly six rats were divided into two groups randomly, each group containing 28 rats. The rats in study group got morphine by adding morphine powder to their water fer 21 days. Then morphine dependency was confirmed by injecting naloxon intra-peritoneally. Both groups underwent surgery and a fixed round hole was created in antcromcdial aspect of the tibia. Bone biopsy was performed 011 days 3. 6. 10 and 20. on 7 randomly selected rats from each group and the results of microscopic study were analyzed by 1".•1:Inn Whitney test. There was statistically significant difference between the two groups according to neutrophilic exudates percentage and granulation tissue formation on 3nl day (P -: (l.OOS). neutrophilic exudates percentage tP> 0.01) and immature bone formation on 6th day (P'-; 0.(05). immature bone formation (P> 0.(01) and mature bone formation (P < f1.(5) on 10til day and mcscncliyrunl tissue formation on 20111 day (P < 0.05). It is concluded that the process of bone repair in a hole created in the rat tibia is markedly delayed in morphine-dependent rats.