Utility of Robotics to Control the Mechanical Environment on the Fracture Healing of Bone and to Assess the Healing.

Abstract

Robotics was utilized to control the mechanical environment on the fracture healing of bone and to assess the healing. A fractured leg of a rabbit received on various modes of stimulation which included cyclic bending and cyclic torsion, one hour per day during a sixty day period. Differences in healing rate were clearly distinguished for the various modes of stimulation applied. It was shown that robotics are particularly suited to the control of the mechanical environment surrounding the fracture site in bone.