Investigating the role of PDGF as a potential drug therapy in bone formation and fracture healing.

Background: Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) has been shown in vivo to increase bone formation and supplement fracture healing, and may have a role as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of bone loss and fracture healing in humans.

Objective: A comprehensive review of the recent literature on the effect of PDGF on bone mineral density and fracture healing.

Methods: In vitro and in vivo evidence was systematically collected using medical search engines MEDLINE/OVID (1950 to March 2008) and EMBASE (1980 to March 2008) databases.