Diagnostic and Promotes Fracture Healing Value of Deregulated <scp>miR</scp> ‐143‐3p in Patients With Osteoporotic Fractures

Osteoporotic fractures (OPF) impose a significant socioeconomic burden. Therefore, identifying reliable molecular biomarkers for early prediction and precise treatment of OPF is crucial. This study investigated the role of miR-143-3p in OPF. We analyzed serum from 188 OPF and 110 osteoporotic (OP) patients. qRT-PCR and ROC analyses showed that miR-143-3p was significantly downregulated in OPF versus OP controls (AUC = 0.893). More importantly, its expression level was markedly higher in patients with normal healing compared to delayed healing, positioning it primarily as a prognostic biomarker for healing outcomes rather than a diagnostic tool for fracture identification. Functionally, miR-143-3p inhibited apoptosis, promoted proliferation, and upregulated osteogenic markers (OCN, OPN, RUNX2). Mechanistically, it directly targeted and negatively regulated VASH1, as confirmed by luciferase assays and rescue experiments. In conclusion, miR-143-3p may serve as a promising prognostic biomarker for predicting fracture healing outcomes, potentially by targeting VASH1.