CASE REPORT article
Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Bone Research
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1595784
This article is part of the Research TopicInnovations in Immunometabolic Treatment and Controlled Release Systems for Bone and Joint DisordersView all 10 articles
Therapeutic Potential of Traditional Korean Herbal Medicine Jeopgol-tang in Bone Regeneration: A Case Series of Delayed Union Over 5 Months
Provisionally accepted
- 1KM Science Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- 2Department of Diagnostics, College of Korean Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Republic of Korea
- 3College of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang, Republic of Korea
- 4Kyunghee Dabok Korean Medicine Clinic, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- 5Department of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation, College of Korean Medicine, Semyung University, Jecheon, Republic of Korea
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The delayed union of fractures poses considerable challenges in orthopedic treatment, affecting patients’ quality of life and healthcare outcomes. Although various treatment options are available, their efficacy may be limited in patients with prolonged delayed union. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of Jeopgol-tang (JGT), a traditional herbal decoction, for treating cases of delayed union persisting for more than 5 months. Three patients with different fracture sites (pubic ramus, multiple metatarsals, and femoral neck) who exhibited insufficient healing after conventional treatment were administered JGT (100 mL per pack, twice daily) for 2–6 months depending on individual healing progress and fracture complexity. Radiological assessments demonstrated progressive improvement in all cases. Notably, one patient avoided reoperation after exhibiting initial signs of bone healing within 1 month of treatment, whereas all patients achieved complete union and reported improved mobility and reduced pain. These findings suggest that JGT could be an effective complementary treatment option for delayed union, particularly in cases in which conventional treatments have yielded limited success. Nevertheless, larger prospective clinical trials and mechanistic studies are required to validate these results and to explore the therapeutic mechanisms of JGT.
Keywords: Fracture, Delayed union, Herbal Medicine, Jeopgol-tang, case report
Received: 18 Mar 2025; Accepted: 06 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Cho, Lee, Choi, Yang and Woo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Hyeonjun Woo, Department of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation, College of Korean Medicine, Semyung University, Jecheon, Republic of Korea
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