The lag phase factor in bone healing

Abstract

An analysis of the age and lag phase factor in human bone healing has been conducted utilizing histological and histochemical techniques, based on an effective number of sixtyfive biopses from subjects screened to eliminate medical disorders or nutritional deficiencies that might have interferred with normal healing. The time required for most active regeneration appeared to depend on the subject's age: a mean of approximately 10 days for subjects in the second decade of life and a mean of approximately 20 days for individuals in the sixth decade or older. It is postulated on the basis of this study and from interpolation from previous, preliminary studies in the rat, that it would be more advantageous to transplant marrow at its most actively regenerating stage rather than at its maturity and that the most actively regenerating time period depends on the age of the individual.