WITH THE addition of the atom bomb to the armamentarium of modern warfare, large numbers of persons may be subjected not only to trauma but also to the effects of whole body x-irradiation. With the exception of experimental work reported in the literature on the effects of local x-rays on fracture healing, we have been unable to find any reports on the effect of whole body exposure to x-rays on the healing of fractures. The purpose of this paper is to report our observations of the effect of whole body x-irradiation on fracture healing in the rat.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
All of the animals used were albino rats of the Wistar strain, weighing over 150 gm. A dose of 500 r will kill 50% of rats of this strain. They are known to require five to six months' growth to reach maturity, with a 300 gm. maximum weight. The rats