Do Not Lose Your Nerve, Be Callus: Insights Into Neural Regulation of Fracture Healing

Abstract

Purpose of review: Fractures are a prominent form of traumatic injury and shall continue to be for the foreseeable future. While the inflammatory response and the cells of the bone marrow microenvironment play significant roles in fracture healing, the nervous system is also an important player in regulating bone healing.

Recent findings: Considerable evidence demonstrates a role for nervous system regulation of fracture healing in a setting of traumatic injury to the brain. Although many of the impacts of the nervous system on fracture healing are positive, pain mediated by the nervous system can have detrimental effects on mobilization and quality of life. Understanding the role the nervous system plays in fracture healing is vital to understanding fracture healing as a whole and improving quality of life post-injury. This review article is part of a series of multiple manuscripts designed to determine the utility of using artificial intelligence for writing scientific reviews.

Keywords: AI; Artificial intelligence; Central nervous system; ChatGPT; Fracture; Pain; Peripheral nervous system.

Fig. 1

Nervous system regulation of fracture healing. The effects of TBI on fracture healing are contested; however, evidence suggests that mild brain injury impairs healing, whereas severe brain injury promotes healing. Peripheral nerves innervating the fracture site secrete a variety of factors that promote healing. Created with BioRender.com