The Locking MouseNail – a new implant for stable osteosynthesis in mice

INTRODUCTION: Fracture healing is a complex, well-orchestrated process, and animal models are essential to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms involved. Whereas in the past large animals like sheep and dogs were chosen for fracture healing studies, nowadays, smaller animals like mice and rats are used, especially to analyze the molecular aspects of fracture healing. Mouse models are cheap and easy to handle. The possibility of genetic targeting made them preferred animals in a wide field of medical research. Further, due to the great availability of distinct biomedical tools, such as monoclonal antibodies, mice may promise deeper insights into the physiology and pathophysiology of fracture healing.