Postlaminectomy Bone and Scar Formations in Presence of Ankaferd Blood Stopper and Bitter Melon (Momordica Charantia): An Experimental Study.

AIM A quantitative model of postlaminectomy was designed in rats. The effects of Momordica Charantia (MC) and Ankaferd blood stopper (ABS) on the bone and scar formation after laminectomy were concurrently evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS Eighteen adult Wistar albino rats underwent lumbar laminectomy at L2-L3 vertebral levels, and were randomly assigned to one of three groups of six rats each. The Treatment group received MC and ABS treatment and the Control group was left untreated. Rats were sacrificed 4 weeks after treatment. Then; the lumbar spine was excised en-block, fixed and decalcified. Sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson"s trichrome, and evaluated for peridural fibrosis (PF), new bone formation, and vascular proliferation. RESULTS Total volume of new bone in the MC group was significantly increased in comparison to the Control group (p < 0.05). Also; there was highly significant increase in terms of the total volume of fibrous tissue in the MC and ABS groups when compared with the Control group (p < 0.01). Besides; there was a highly significant difference between the MC and the Control groups (p < 0.01) in point of total volume of vessel. CONCLUSION Both MC and ABS are not convenient to prevent the PF formation and MC may promote new bone formation and angiogenesis after lumbar laminectomy in rats.