MMP3 and bone fracture: As a pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-6 is highly expressed in bone fracture patients, the level of which is weakly correlated with spinal function score.17 In this study, the postoperative serum MMP-3 and IL-6 levels of both groups significantly decreased compared with those before surgeries (P<0.05), with statistically significant inter-group differences (P<0.05).