Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can weaken and delay, almost halt, bones healing, according to Dr Patrick O'Connor and colleagues at New Jersey's University of Medicine and Dentistry:

• Ibuprofen and indomethacin delay healing

• Vioxx and Celebrex almost halt healing. In many cases the new bone was merely a weak shell

The research was was carried out on rats so needs to be repeated on humans. Professor Jeremy Saklatvata from London's Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology warned anyone trying to heal bones to steer clear of all drugs and felt that the finding could have implications for people with rheumatoid arthritis.

See also Drugs like aspirin kill 2,000 Britains a year

Read more about orthodox medicine