Fig. 1: TBI (traumatic brain injury) accelerates bone healing in patients and rats.

a Fracture callus volume in fracture alone patients and TBI patients with concomitant fracture (n = 4 person per group per time point, Student’s two-sided unpaired t test). P_{(2w TBI+fracture vs. 2w Fracture)} = 0.0787, P_{(4w TBI+fracture vs. 4w Fracture)} = 0.0028, P_{(6w TBI+fracture vs. 6w Fracture)} = 0.0082. b Scheme illustrating the fluid-percussion device for experimentally induced TBI. Representative micro-computed tomography (CT) 3D image (c) and BV/TV% analysis (d) of defect sites of PTD (proximal tibia defect) and PTD + TBI (PTD combined-TBI) groups on day 3, 7, and 14 after operation (n = 5 animals per group per time point; Student’s two-sided unpaired t test). P_{(3d PTD+TBI vs. PTD)} = 0.5424, P_{(7d PTD+TBI vs. PTD)} = 0.0001, P_{(14d PTD+TBI vs. PTD)} = 0.0011. e Representative H&E staining of rat PTD sites show newly formed woven bone in the defect sites. Scale bars, 200 µm (n = 5 animals per group per time point). f, g Representative immunohistochemical staining and quantitation of OCN-positive cells in rat PTD sites at 7 and 14 days after surgery (n = 5; Student’s two-sided unpaired t test). P_{(7d PTD+TBI vs. PTD)} = 0.0225, P_{(14d PTD+TBI vs. PTD)} = 0.0014. Scale bars, 40 µm. The quantitation result were plotted as dot plots, showing the mean ± SEM of three independent experiments. ^*P < 0.05, ^**P < 0.01; ns = nonsignificant.