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To investigate the effect of a-tocopherol (vitamin E) on fracture healing in rabbits, two groups of 10 rabbits were either injected with a-tocopherol (treated) or untreated (controls). The right femurs of both groups were fractured, and the treated group were injected intramuscularly with 20 mg/kg a-tocopherol daily for 5 days starting on the day of fracture. After 21 days, histological sections of the fractured region were examined and scored. Fracture healing had progressed further in the a-tocopherol group than in the control group. A statistically significant difference between the histological grading of fracture healing in the two groups was found. This difference may result from an antioxidant (a-tocopherol) effect on free oxygen radicals in the fracture area. We conclude that a-tocopherol may affect fracture healing favourably and might be useful as a therapeutic agent in clinical fracture management.

Our study demonstrated that pectoralis major myofascial flap reinforcement did not decrease the rate of pharyngocutaneous fistula formation. Instead, it prevented the formation of large fistulas that would require surgical management, and showed a similar time to oral feeding and length of hospital stay to primary laryngectomy.

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