Effect of femoral nerve block using ropivacaine on femur fracture healing by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway
GUI Hongyu
LIU Guoying
Abstract：Objective To explore the effect of femoral nerve block using ropivacaine on fracture healing and the underlying mechanism.Methods A transverse femoral shaft fracture model was established in rats.Thirty-six modeling rats were randomly divided into three groups:control group(femoral nerve block by injection of 0.1mL saline),ropivacaine group(femoral nerve block by injection of 0.1mL 0.25％ropivacaine),and antagonist group(femoral nerve block by injection of 0.1 mL 0.25％ropivacaine+subcutaneous injection at the fracture site of 20mg/kg of the Wnt antagonist Dickkopf-1[DKK1]),with 12 rats in each group.X-ray and micro-CT were used for imaging analyses.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the levels of bone formation-related markers.Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting analysis were used to detect the expressions of proteins involved in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.Results Bone scab diameter,fracture healing score,bone mineral density and bone volume/tissue volume ratio were significantly higher in the ropivacaine group compared with the control group(P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,serum osteocalcin(OC),bone morphogenetic protein-2(BMP-2),and transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)levels were significantly higher,while cholera toxin(CTX)level was significantly lower in rats of the ropivacaine group(P＜0.05),protein expressions of Wnt-3a,β-catenin,Dishevelled 1(Dvl-1)and lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1(LEF-1)were significantly higher,while those of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta(GSK-3β)and axis inhibition protein 2(Axin-2)were significantly lower in rats of the ropivacaine group(P＜0.05).The improvement effects of femoral nerve block using ropivacaine on bone healing and bone morphology in rats with femoral fracture,as well as the activation effects on Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway were able to be eliminated by the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway antagonist.Conclusion Femoral nerve block using ropivacaine is able to increase the levels of bone formation markers and accelerate fracture healing in rats with femoral fractures by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to promote the expressions of downstream proteins.
Keywords：ropivacainefemoral nerve blockfracture healingWnt/β-catenin signaling pathway
Publication Date：2025-12-26
Online Publishing Date：2026-01-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 1952-1956 )