Is sonic Hedgehog involved in human fracture healing? --a prospective study on local and systemic concentrations of SHH.

Introduction: Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) is a new signalling pathway in bone repair. Evidence exist that SHH pathway plays a significant role in vasculogenesis and limb development during embryogenesis. Some in vitro and animal studies has already proven its potential for bone regeneration.

Successful limb salvage using the two-staged technique with internal fixation after osteodistraction in an effort to treat large segmental bone defects in the lower extremity.

Background: The reconstruction of large segmental bone defects exceeding 8 cm remains a major therapeutic challenge. Strategies to avoid amputation and thereby provide satisfactory functional outcomes have not been sufficiently evaluated. Therefore, the present study reviews the clinical and functional outcomes after limb salvage.