title: Influence of the osteosynthesis plate on ultrasound propagation in the bone.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the influence of steel plates for osteosynthesis on the velocity of ultrasound propagation (VU) through the bone.
  
  
  METHODS
  The transverse coronal and sagittal velocity of ultrasound propagation underwater were measured on the intact bone and then on assemblies of the same bone with two types of osteosynthesis plates (DCP and semi tubular), fixed onto the dorsal side of the bones. The first arriving signal (FAS) was the ultrasound parameter used, taking the coronal and sagittal diameters as the distances to calculate velocity. Intergroup statistical comparisons were made at significance level of 1% (p<0.01).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Velocity was higher on the intact bones than on the bone-plate assemblies and higher for the semitubular than for the compression plates, although differences were not statistically significant for most comparisons (p=0.0132 to 0.9884), indicating that the steel plates do not interfere significantly with ultrasound wave propagation through the bone-plate assemblies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The velocity reduction effect was attributed to the greater reflection coefficient of the steel as compared to that of bone and water. Ultrasonometry can, thus, be used in the evaluation of healing of fractures fixed with steel plates. Experimental Study.
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Márcio Takey
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Bezuti
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Garcia
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Mandarano-Filho
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barbieri
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nilton
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mazzer
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cláudio Henrique
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Barbieri
keywords: Acoustics; Bone and bones; Bone plates; Steel; Ultrasonics