How PTSD and related health problems affect bone healing in Veterans
Official title: BCCMA: Foundational Research to Act Upon and Resist Conditions Unfavorable to Bone (FRACTURE CURB): Impacts of PTSD on Fracture Healing
Funded at Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center · NIH-11206891 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether conditions like PTSD make bones heal more slowly in aging Veterans and whether boosting the bone-building effects of parathyroid hormone can help them recover faster.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2024 |
| Project end | September 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX005870-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11206891 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be aging Veterans with low bone density or a history of PTSD who are at higher risk for fragility fractures.
✕Less likely to help
Young, otherwise healthy people or those whose fractures come from high-impact trauma rather than bone-weakening conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers are using laboratory and pre-clinical models that mimic aging, osteoporosis, and stress-related conditions common in Veterans to study how these problems change bone breakdown and repair. They will test approaches to enhance the bone-building actions of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and measure outcomes such as bone density, callus formation, and healing speed. The work brings together multiple VA teams to compare disease models and treatments using consistent methods. Results are intended to identify promising strategies that could later be tested in Veteran patients to prevent fractures or speed fracture recovery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that prevent fragility fractures or help bones heal faster in Veterans with osteoporosis or stress-related conditions.
How similar studies have gone: Anabolic PTH therapies have improved bone density and shown promise for fracture healing in prior studies, but tailoring or enhancing PTH specifically for PTSD-related or Veteran-specific conditions is a newer direction.
Where this research is happening
-
Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center
Charleston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Larue, Amanda C. — Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Larue, Amanda C.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how PTSD affects bone healing in Veterans
This study is looking at how PTSD affects the healing of broken bones in older Veterans, and it aims to find new ways to help them recover better and prevent bone loss.
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Understanding how PTSD affects self-control and brain function
Researchers are studying how PTSD changes the brain’s control over thoughts and actions, and how this might affect Veterans’ daily lives and responses to treatment.
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Ketamine to boost fear extinction and memory on PTSD patients
A study testing whether ketamine can help people with PTSD better relearn and forget fear when given in a guided treatment plan.
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Adenosine-based help to speed up bone fracture healing in older adults
A biomaterial-based approach delivers adenosine locally to fractures to speed healing in aging bones.
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Treating PTSD and opioid use disorder in residential care with Written Exposure Therapy (WEST)
A short, patient-friendly plan to adapt a proven PTSD therapy for people with opioid use disorder in residential treatment and test its practicality and impact.
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Dynamic PTSD-Related Cognitive Risk in Aging WTC Responders
This project follows World Trade Center responders as they age to understand how PTSD symptoms relate to changes in thinking skills over time.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.