Surface-enhanced Raman scattering study of the healing of radial fractures treated with or without Huo-Xue-Hua-Yu decoction therapy

This study aimed to assess, through surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy, the incorporation of calcium hydroxyapatite (CHA similar to 960 cm(-1)) and other biochemical substances in the repair of complete radial fractures in rabbits treated with or without Huo-Xue-Hua-Yu decoction (HXHYD) therapy. A total of 18 rabbits with complete radial fractures were randomly divided into two groups; one group was treated with HXHYD therapy and the other without therapy acted as a control. The animals were sacrificed at 15, 30 and 45 d after surgery. Specimens were routinely prepared for SERS measurement and high quality SERS spectra from a mixture of bone tissues and silver nanoparticles were obtained. The mineral-to-matrix ratios from the control and treated groups were calculated. Results showed that both deposition content of CHA measured by SERS spectroscopy and the mineral-to-matrix ratio in the treated group were always greater than those of the control group during the experiment, demonstrating that HXHYD therapy is effective in improving fracture healing and that SERS spectroscopy might be a novel tool to assess fracture healing.