Muscle damage and disuse muscular atrophy are detrimental for fracture healing. It has been reported that the Akt signaling pathway plays a role in skeletal muscle hypertrophy and atrophy. The aim of this study was to further investigate whether promoting local muscle function through regulating Akt signaling affects fracture healing. For this purpose, we combined a rat model of short-term atrophy of the quadriceps with a femoral fracture model.