Method and apparatus for assessing the structure and mechanical integrity of osseous systems

摘要

A method and apparatus for assessing the mechanical and structural integrity of osseous systems for example the progress to completion of fracture union of a fractured bone. The method involves stimulating the bone to set up vibrations in the bone and then monitoring the resulting vibrations from the bone in such away that an accurate assessment of the integrity of the bone can be made. This may be done by either stimulating the bone by mechanical impulse and detecting the changes in transmission of vibration from one point to another in the bone, or stimulating the bone with a sinusoidal wave form and monitoring the changes in resonant frequencies of the bone parts under investigation. The disclosed invention has the attributes that it yields a measure of the mechanical state of bone and that measure is quantitative. Moreover it yields data of similar quality whether the bone is intact, disrupted, healing or the site of an implant, splint or prosthesis of whatever material, and has applications ass research tool or clinical monitor of skeletal changes.