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Old 04-04-2008, 11:35 PM
BigRedBeta BigRedBeta is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2006
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek View Post
Earlier today, I was reading an article on new medical research. A new study in rats showed that removing some of the bone marrow could actually strengthen bones and speed up recovery after a fracture or a break. Has anyone heard of this? If this is true, I would think doctors would have to give the patient some kind of bone growth hormone if some of the bone marrow were to be extracted.
1) If it's being done in rats, it's certainly very new. This technique will be a long way from be implemented in humans.

2) Unless the article talked about giving other medications why would "bone growth hormone" need to be given? The marrow produces blood cells, not bone. I have no idea the exact mechanism of how removing marrow would speed the process, but it seems like the point is that whatever is in a rat's marrow may be slowing down bone growth...
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