ENDOTHELIAL STIMULATING ANGIOGENIC FACTOR IN EARLY FRACTURE-HEALING

The early vascular response is essential for the normal progress of fr acture healing and fracture site blood flow has been shown to reach a peak in the first two weeks after injury. Angiogenesis is an important step in this response as new vessel formation is necessary to vascula rize the fracture haematoma and the fracture gap. Changes in serum lev els of a low molecular weight endothelial stimulating angiogenic facto r (ESAF) have been previously reported in a group of four patients wit h tibial fractures. In this group, ESAF levels were measured on three occasions only and at different time intervals. We present a move deta iled profile of serum ESAF level changes in the first 14 days after th e fracture.